First of all, let me go to the dark side. I am still haunted by the death of Julio Silverwolf in 2008. A transman who, after being held in the Pinellas County Jail for hours was released in the still dark early morning, stepped in front of a moving vehicle and died instantly. He publicly had been harassed by his ex spouse for years, and law enforcement provided very little protection. He was hurt to the core and, in all likelihood, stepping into traffic was a choice he made to end his suffering.
Please remember Julio Silverwolf.

When I started my practice, I saw many transwomen who were HIV positive, none of these beautiful women are alive today. They died too young and most are in graves marked by their birth names – a final injustice – their birth names deeply etched in marble or stone.

Please remember these women, our courageous sisters.

In 2003, Lucas McCauley, a Morton Plant unit secretary was stabbed to death.Please remember Lucas McCauley who dressed as a female with the name Reshae.

This past year a woman who was very involved in our community died of lung cancer. Her uninvolved family came into town and took charge of all her possessions and then buried her far away, not with her legal name but with her male birth name.
Please remember Renee Jacque, her legally changed name.

Last year another woman who was very involved in our community also died of lung cancer. I visited her often at Hospice. The doctor’s notes referred to her by male pronouns. Although her legal name was Anne, as she lay dying, an aide referred to her as male. She lived as female, she deserved to die with her female dignity.Please remember her, Anne Skinner.

And now to the bright side.

This past year has brought many victories. Thanks to Michael Keefe the executive director of the Florida Organization for Gender Equality, the Department of Motor Vehicles changed the gender marker policy to match that of the U. S. Passport Agency’s policy. It is now possible to get the correct gender on your driver’s license prior to surgery. Taylor McCue the president of the Transgender Student Union was instrumental in getting the University of South Florida to change their housing policy offering several gender-neutral dorm rooms, where anyone of any gender can live with anyone else. The VA is providing transgender veterans hormonal therapy, before and after gender change surgery, and mental health counseling as part of their regular benefits. The federal government has adopted non-discrimination gender language that has far reaching effects.

So what is next?

We need to bring down the false prophets. It may sound blasphemous, but we need to change the mind and voice of the religious right—this is what keeps us unsafe. We need to get into the pulpits and preach the message of inclusion. I don’t now how to do this but we need to tear down the gates of hate. We need to make this our mission, to start our own Occupy movement, to encourage more heroes like Chaz Bono to dance into the hearts of millions, to create a phrase that catches on like Black is Beautiful, Gay and Proud, and perhaps Trans and Out-Standing.