SHOULD CONTINUE.2-SALLY:
TONIGHT HUNDREDS ARE EXPECTED
TO GATHER AT CITY HALL FOR THE
TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE.
JOHN:THIS YEAR 29 TRANSGENDER
MEN AND WOMEN WERE KILLED IN
THE UNITED STATES. HERE IN
AUSTIN THE DEATH OF MONICA
LOERA LAST YEAR SPARKED POLICY
CHANGES AT THE CITY AND POLICE
LEVEL AFTER SHE WAS WRONGLY
IDENTIFIED AS A MAN IN THE
MEDIA FOR MORE THAN A WEEK.
KATE WEIDAW IS LIVE OUTSIDE
CITY HALL WITH THE DETAILS.
KATE:TONIGHT 300 PEOPLE ARE
EXPECTED TO GATHER RIGHT HERE
AT CITY HALL FOR THE EVENT.I'M
TOLD BY SOME IN THE
TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY THEY ARE
FEARFUL EVEN WALKING DOWN THE
STREETS OF AUSTIN BECAUSE OF
HOW DIVISIVE THE ISSUE OF
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS ARE.AND
WHILE THE SO CALLED BATHROOM
BILL FAILED TO PASS DURING THE
SPECIAL SESSION - IT STILL
MAKES MANY FEEL MARGINALIZED
IN THE COMMUNITY.STILL MANY
MORE ARE CHOOSING TO COME OUT
FOR THIS EVENT THAN WHEN IT
STARTED IN 1999 WITH ONLY 30
PEOPLE HERE.ONE OF THE NAMES
BEING READ TONIGHT IS MONICA
LOERA.WHILE SHE DIED LAST YEAR
- THE TRIAL FOR THE MAN
ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND
KILLING HER ENDED THIS MONTH
WITH A GUILTY VERDICT AND A
SENTENCE OF 20 YEARS IN PRISON.
HER DEATH AND THE
MISIDENTIFICATION OF HER AS A
MAN HIGHLIGHTED THE LACK OF A
STATE MANDATED STANDARDIZED
PROCESS FOR LEGALLY CHANGING
NAMES AND GENDER.AS A RESULT ,
APD ANNOUNCED THEY WERE
LAUNCHING NEW POLICIES TO
PROTECT LGBTQ AUSTINITIES BY
CONDUCTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
TRAINING AND TRANSGENDER
SEARCH PROCEDURES.AND THE CITY
PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING THE
CITY MANAGER TO ORGANIZE A
STAKEHOLDER GROUP OF LOCAL
TRANSGENDER AND GENDER-
NONCONFORMING ADVOCATES TO
MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
POLICIES TO PREVENT FUTURE
IDENTITY ISSUES AMONG APD
STILL, ADVOCATES HOPE
TONIGHT'S EVENT SHOWS MORE
NEEDS TO BE DONE.MASON
VAUGHAN/ORGANIZER, TRANSGENDER
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE"I'D LIKE TO
SAY WE ARE INCLUSIVE, WE ARE
AHEAD OF SOME OTHER CITIES BUT
UNTIL THE DAY EVERYONE HAS
ADEQUATE ACCESS TO RESOURCES
SO THEY CAN GAIN EMPLOYMENT
AND DO SOMETHING WITH THEIR
LIFE, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO
DO."KATE:ANYONE IS WELCOME TO
ATTEND TONIGHT'S TRANSGENDER
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE.IT HAPPENS
HERE AT CITY HALL AT 7:30.THEY
WILL HAVE BADGES FOR PEOPLE
WHO DO NOT WANT TO BE
PHOTOGRAPHED BECAUSE THEY
AREN'T PREPARED TO PUBLICLY
COME OUT AS JOHN, BACK TO YOU.
JOHN:THE NATIONAL TRANSGENDER
DISCRIMINATION SURVEY
DISCOVERED THAT OUT OF THE
SURVEY PARTICIPANTS ONE-THIRD
WERE NOT ALLOWED TO UPDATE
THEIR GENDER ON THEIR
GOVERNMENT RECORDS.THEY ALSO
FOUND THAT ONE IN FOUR
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
VICTIMS OF HARASSMENT,
PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, AND
