James C. Hormel &
Michael P. Nguyen
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Press ReleasesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Danny Kirchoff, Coalition Coordinator and Transgender Equality Program Manager Landmark Transgender Leadership Summit to be Held in Southern California California’s First Ever Transgender Leadership Summit to be held at the University of Southern California from February 17-19, 2006 Los Angeles, CA - More than 100 transgender activists and allies from across the state will participate in an unprecedented Transgender Leadership Summit at the University of Southern California (USC). The three-day event kicks off on Friday, February 17 where leading transgender activists will work to advance the state’s transgender civil rights movement in California while networking and honing their activist skills. The Summit, sponsored by Equality California Institute (EQCAI), will mark a turning point in the statewide movement for transgender equality and inclusion. “As a community, we have had a number of legislative successes over the last seven years that have dramatically forwarded our movement,” said Danny Kirchoff, EQCA’s Transgender Equality Program Manager. “The Summit is a recognition of the growing power of transgender communities in California and an opportunity to increase the ability of individual community members to make this new legislation meaningful to people’s everyday lives.” Two key pieces of legislation that affirm transgender rights went into effect on January 1, 2006, include AB 1400 (the Civil Rights Act of 2005) and AB 1586 (the Insurance Gender Non-Discrimination Act), both bills were sponsored by Equality California (EQCA). AB 1400, authored by Santa Cruz Assemblymember John Laird, amended California’s public accommodation law to make clear that transgender people are protected. AB 1586, authored by Assemblymember Paul Koretz, prohibits discrimination against transgender people by the insurance industry, including healthcare insurers. One of the goals of this important Summit is to bring together the political and social efforts of local community activists and channel them into a coordinated state-wide agenda. Held at USC’s Topping Student Center, the event is free to attendees and will feature workshops and panel discussions focused on public policy, community building, institutional change, and personal development, among a variety of other topics. The Summit concludes with a community strategy forum designed to discuss next steps for the overall transgender civil rights movement. The Summit is also being supported by the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, Center for Transgender Advancement, FTM Alliance of L.A., LOTUS, TGI Justice Project, Transcend Empowerment Institute, Transgender Equality Alliance, Transgender Law Center and the Transgeneros Unidas Program. For more information about the Summit or to register, visit www.eqca.org/tg. -30- |
