San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today joined elected and City officials and community members to raise the transgender flag at City Hall in honor of San Francisco’s Transgender History Month.

“San Francisco has been, and always will be a place where we embrace our diverse communities to ensure everyone has the freedom to be who they are without scrutiny,” said Mayor Breed. “Last year we declared August Transgender History Month in San Francisco, making it our country’s first of its kind. We are setting a new standard that celebrates the history and cultural milestones of transgender people in this City. Today and the entire month of August reflect the resilience of the transgender community and our city’s commitment to supporting and protecting the rights of trans people.”

Transgender History Month honors the 56th anniversary of the Compton's Cafeteria Riots, which occurred in August 1966 in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, marking the beginning of transgender activism in San Francisco. A response to violent and constant police harassment, this incident was one of the first LGBTQ uprisings in United States history, preceding the better-known 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City.

The Tenderloin is now home to The Transgender District, created in 2018 as Compton's Transgender Cultural District, the nation's first legally recognized district dedicated to the transgender, nonbinary, and intersex community.

"The Transgender District is thrilled to begin the tradition of Transgender History Month in the City and County of San Francisco - a tradition that began with Mayor London Breed's leadership and committed allyship to the city's transgender and queer communities," said Aria Sai'd, co-founder and president of The Transgender District. "To know your history is to know yourself. It is time to acknowledge that trans history is universal history - in which transgender figures, activism, and political thought have propelled our society forward by centering civil liberties and social justice for a more equitable world."

“As trans lives and rights remain contested on a national scale, it is more important than ever to acknowledge our history,” said Pau Crego, Executive Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives (OTI). “We would not be here today without the fierce advocacy of our elders; and, as trans people, we continue to make history every day on account of our very existence. Transgender History Month in San Francisco provides an opportunity to honor those who fought for our basic human rights and match their tenacity in the work ahead. OTI is proud to kick off Transgender History Month with The Transgender District and Mayor London Breed. We look forward to celebrating our vibrant trans communities, leaders, and culture!”

The City of San Francisco celebrates Transgender History Month by recognizing the strength and resilience of its LGBTQ leaders and by making real investments in the community. Last week, Mayor Breed signed San Francisco’s $14 billion-dollar budget that includes investments in strategies to end homelessness and provide subsidies for transgender and gender non-conforming residents who disproportionally face barriers to housing, services, and employment. These investments fund a citywide strategic goal to end Transgender Homelessness in the next five years:

• Developed in partnership with the Office of Transgender Initiatives, the proposed budget leverages Our City, Our Home funding to provide at least 200 permanent housing exits from homelessness specifically for TGNC residents.

• The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) plans to allocate 150 slots from its adult Flexible Housing Subsidy Program or from future federal emergency housing vouchers to provide acquisition and operating funds for a 50-to 80-unit PSH building to serve TGNC and LGBTQ transitional aged youth.

• In collaboration with HSH, the Department of Public Health is leveraging $0.5 million in OCOH funding for behavioral health services for TGNC clients.

• The Mayor’s proposed FY 2022-23 and FY 2023-24 budget also makes a new $3 million ongoing General Fund investment to build capacity among nonprofit providers serving TGNC residents and fund short-term or shallow rental subsidies in partnership with MOHCD.

With an estimated 400 TGNC residents experiencing homelessness at any given time, the implementation of this plan will address the homelessness crisis within TGNC communities, in particular as it affects Black, Indigenous, Latina and other trans women of color. The plan to end trans homelessness will build on the successful model of Our Trans Home SF, the first TGNC-focused housing program in the nation, which Mayor Breed founded in 2019.

For more information about San Francisco’s Office of Transgender Initiatives, please visit https://sf.gov/departments/city-administrator/office-transgender-initiatives and learn more about The Transgender District at https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com/.

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