The Lesbian Gay and Bisexual and Transgender community is described with the acronym LGBT.
There is a common understanding of what lesbian, gay and bisexual mean.
Few, though, understand what the word transgender means.
According to the definition from the Gender Equity Resource Center at University of California, Berkeley, transgender, the word which is sometimes shortened to “trans” or “TG,” are “people are those whose psychological self or gender identity differs from the social expectations for the physical sex they were born with.”
In simple terms, a person’s body identity conflicts with their “social gender,” according to the definition.
Being “transgender” is not a sexual orientation.
In fact, being transgender people can be any sexual orientation.
I have met many transgender people in Stockton, some are lesbian women, or gay men I have even met straight men and women.
Transgenders nationwide have been attacked due to transphobia, a fear of transgenders. One such victim was Brandon Teena a transgendered man, who was killed in 1993 after being sexually assaulted.
The Delta College Pride Center has resources available to those interested in transgender issues and the transgender student.
When a student who is transgender, or expresses interest in transgender issues can get information about the Stockton Transgender Alliance.
The Stockton Transgender Alliance was founded in February 2009 in support of gender non-conforming people whether they identify as transgender, transsexual, gender queer, or male to female, female to male and any other chosen expression that enables them to better understand who they are.
The alliance is led by The Rev. Elena Kelly, a transgender woman, living in Stockton who is active in the LGBT community.
Kelly is also a board member of the newly opened San Joaquin Pride Center, where the Stockton Transgender Alliance meets.
Each year on the Sunday closest to Nov. 20 the Stockton Transgender Alliance holds a Transgender Day of Remembrance.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
Remembering and honoring people like Gwen Araujo, a transgender woman, who was killed after being forcefully discovered to be genetically male.
The 3rd Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance is to be held 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20 at Stockton’s Temple Israel, 5105 N. El Dorado St.
This event is being held in honor of the transgender service members that defend America, and to the memory of Ariana Dibble, a Stockton victim of transgendered violence.
The event is free to the public. For more information contact Kelly through email at elena.kelly@comcast.net.