California Announces Trans History Month

California has announced a Trans History Month! This is a monumental step in trans rights advocacy. Before being declared statewide, independent cities acknowledged Trans History Month.

This news, announced by assembly member Matt Haney, declared that, in 2024, August would be Trans History Month, acknowledging how the past can and will shape the future. Trans people have existed since the dawn of humanity. Trans rights are human rights, and human rights are an important facet of history that must be acknowledged, lest the mistakes of our predecessors be repeated. August becoming a month for remembering and celebrating all the steps we’ve taken towards a better society is so important.

“As long as there has been a California, there have been transgender people here,” says Haney, who represents San Fransisco, “Contributing to their community, making history, and expanding civil rights, and helping to build a California that is more inclusive and prosperous for everyone.”

During the press conference, Honey Mahogany, former Drag Race star and the chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, says, “All across this country, we have been seeing the attacks on the trans community, but it’s not just in other states. Even here in California, where we have a sanctuary state, where we have an overwhelming (number) of Democrats representing us in the capitol, we are still seeing acts of violence, we are still seeing attempts at legislating against our community.”

This anti-trans legislation seems to be pinpointed at stripping away human rights such as gender-affirming health care and the ability to play competitive sports, while pressing issues, such as gun control and safety in schools, are completely ignored. Unfortunately, despite this massive step forward, steps are being taken backwards, as many states’ legislation makes it clear that they only care about certain human lives, not all.

Image courtesy of @matthaneysf on Instagram