San Mateo County Readies To Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County will commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance this week, officials said in a news release.

Local leaders will join residents in raising the Transgender Flag at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City to mark the annual event.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance event will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in Redwood City at the San Mateo County Hall of Justice Courtyard (400 County Center).

Supervisor Dave Pine and Dana Johnson, an LGBTQ Commission member and PRIDE initiative co-chair, are among those scheduled to appear.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was established in 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender activist, to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester in Massachusetts.

Since 1999, Transgender Day of Remembrance has been held annually on November 20, and quickly evolved from a local gathering started by Smith into an international event.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors marked this day by Proclamation, unanimously approved Monday.

The flag raising will kick off events including the TransACTION Day of Change to follow later in the month.

TransACTION Day of Change, to be held on November 18 in Redwood City’s Courthouse Square, will feature resource booths, an Allegiance Wall, reading of the names and a candlelight vigil.

Event will be livestreamed on the LGBTQ Commission Facebook page.

More information on TransACTION Day of Change can be found here.