The City of West Hollywood and its Transgender Advisory Board are celebrating Transgender Awareness Month in November with events and the lighting of City Hall in the colors of the transgender flag. Transgender Awareness Month is recognized throughout the United States in November each year.
On Monday, the city launched its recognition of Transgender Awareness Month with a transgender exhibit at the City’s Council Chambers and the City Council presented a proclamation. West Hollywood City Hall, located at 8300 Santa Monica Blvd., was lit in blue, pink and white lights to represent the colors of the transgender flag and a transgender flag was raised atop the building. The flag will be flown and the lighting will be displayed throughout the month of November.
On Wednesday at 6 p.m., the city’s Transgender Advisory Board will host its annual awards presentation at the Council Chambers at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. The awards will acknowledge community members and organizations for their work in the transgender community. Awards will be presented to Project Q, a nonprofit organization that gives more than 700 free haircuts to LGBTQ homeless youth annually, and Mariana Marroquin, manager of the Trans Wellness Center. A dessert reception will follow the meeting. The awards presentation is free and open to the public. The event will be televised live on WeHoTV at www.weho.org/wehotv.
On Thursday, the city, in conjunction with the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Transgender Economic Empowerment Project (TEEP), will host a transgender job fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the West Hollywood Park Auditorium, located at 647 N. San Vicente Blvd. More than 40 companies and businesses will participate, and the event will include job training resources, a mock interview clinic, and a photo booth for professional headshots. Admission is free.
On Nov. 18, the city will sponsor and JQ International will host the third annual Trans Equality brunch at the City Council Chambers at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.. It will feature a panel discussion with members of the transgender and genderqueer community. Attendees will hear the voices, stories and experiences of diverse and accomplished transgender and genderqueer community members, with hopes of being better friends, family, allies and supporters of full equality for the entire LGBTQ+ community. Admission is free. Free parking will be available at the adjacent five-story structure with validation. For more information, contact Anna Goodman, JQ International, at agoodman@jqinternational.org.
On Nov. 20, the city’s Transgender Advisory Board will host a Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony featuring transgender speakers and performers. The names of transgender people who have died due to hate crimes will be read at the ceremony. The flags at City Hall will be flown at half-staff in remembrance. A march will immediately follow the event. Attendance is free. Parking will be available at the Jeremy Hotel for a $20 fee. Free validated overflow parking will be available at the West Hollywood Park five-story public parking structure, located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd. — a shuttle will transport people from the five-story parking structure to the Jeremy Hotel. The shuttle will run from 5 to 6 p.m. and from 8:45 to 9:30 p.m. There is a bus stop located at La Cienega Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard (a tenth of a mile from the Jeremy Hotel). For more information, contact Bonnie Smith at bsmith@weho.org or (323) 848-6371.
It’s great that the City does so much for the Transgender Community. They are one of the most vulnerable groups who need a place where they are accepted, respected and protected. Thank you to the Transgender Advisory Board.