California becomes first state to recognize ‘Transgender History Month’

by JACKSON WALKER 

SAN FRANCISCO (TND) — California is set to recognize “Transgender History Month” each August following a vote by state lawmakers Wednesday.

The measure marks the first such declaration by a U.S. state. While describing the need for such recognition, sponsors of the bill said that though the nation celebrates the LGBT community during Pride Month in June, there is not enough done to specifically support transgender individuals.

“Despite the national recognition of LGBTQ+ history month, there is no proper representation and emphasis on the imperative leadership of transgender individuals in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights throughout history, and the transgender community substantially trails behind the level of inclusion and acceptance afforded to the broader LGBT community,” the bill reads.

The recognition will officially begin in August 2024, according to the bill.

California has been home to transgender individuals as far back as 1775, the bill claims, citing evidence from the historical journal of a soldier who observed Native Americans dressing and acting like women. The bill's sponsors believe this and other qualities make the state the ideal place to recognize the subject.

“California has long been the epicenter of the trans liberation movement, possessing suitable historical qualities sufficient for the recognition of Transgender History Month as an opportunity to provide education, insight, and awareness of the monumental contributions to Golden State history by transgender Californians,” the bill reads.

The bill’s author, Assemblyman Matt Haney, D-San Francisco, said in a press conference Wednesday that the measure seeks to "lift up" transgender individuals.

“I believe that as Californians our strongest defense against the anti-trans agenda is just to tell the truth,” he said. “Let’s tell the truth about transgender people’s lives, and let’s lift up the history of the transgender Californians who left their mark on our great state.”

San Francisco has recognized August as "Transgender History Month" since Mayor London Breed signed an official proclamation in 2021.

Similar measures to Haney's have been met with controversy across the country. In Miami, a school board recently rejected recognizing October as LGBTQ+ history month during a 14-hour-long meeting.