The City of Long Beach CA Had Its First Trans Pride Last Saturday

[VickySGV]

The City Of Long Beach CA had Its first Trans Pride last Saturday and from my POV it was a huge success and a family fun event for the most part.  I actually live 35 miles north of Long Beach although it is my old neighborhood, but the person who was coordinating the stage event support is a good friend who needed "cheap rent" on higher power audio equipment which I have acquired over the years as a hobby.  I told him to see that they had lunch for me and we would call it square for using the gear.  Unlike the events up in Los Angeles area, this one attracted a large number of Latinx and Black Trans people. Some of them I  know from the L.A. events, but who were in their own neighborhood for the first time.  The City of Long Beach is a major ship port and is one of the largest cities in California.  Turns out the City was very happy to have the event come to them and we had several Politicos show up with nice looking certificates for the organizers, and their Congressman also sent in their representatives to get the tradition going in their City there. 

 

They also had a Two Spirit Medicine Person show up  to bless the event and workers with Sage which was impressive and sincere.  The Native Americans in the Long Beach area left their mark on places there. I won't make any political comments here, but their first encounters with the Spaniards from Mexico had not been pleasant for them and descendants of the Bands that lived here will talk about their ancestors proudly and the Trans community is a group they feel comfortable with.  They do not have a strong Two Spirit group like other tribes, but they honor them and us Trans.

 

There were about 50 Trans support organizations and City and County agencies working with the Trans Community there.  Included was a set of groups doing HIV and Covid testing, and even a walk-in vaccination site operating.  The group who put this on had come together back in March and they show that if you want something bad enough it will happen if you get with good friends in the community.  We did have public members coming through and one person who did not realize I was Trans at first told me that we just seemed like good people having a lot of fun even though we sure were colorful as we looked, but they will never again hear the word Trans with fear and disgust.  That is winning.

[Sally Stone]

On 9/20/2021 at 3:20 PM, VickySGV said:

That is winning.

Sounds like a super big win Vicky.  Events like these show our community in a positive light and allows others to get to know us.