by tony reverditto –
Fifty years ago to the month on June 28, 1969 there was a moment at Greenwich Village’s Stonewall bar in New York City that would change LGBTQ history. When the police raided the bar, Marsha P. Johnson, a black trans-woman, was present and resisted arrest by throwing a shot glass at the officers, sparking a protest. This set off a chain reaction with enraged patrons following suit leading to six days of protests and violent clashes with law enforcement outside the bar. Many consider that chapter in time to be the beginning of the LGBTQ revolution and a milestone to paving the path of equality.
The Stonewall Humanitarian Awards is a celebration of that historic anniversary. It will be an uplifting and exciting event as our community continues to demand a place as equals in our nation. Honorees are those who work endlessly to improve the quality of life for all LGBTQ+ people.
The Palm Springs Cultural Center along with special guest for 2019, Anne Walker, will award Palm Springs’ L-Fund A Lesbian Philanthropic Group with an inaugural Marsha P. Johnson Ally Award for their efforts in providing financial resources to transgender women in crisis. Desert AIDS Project Nurse Practitioner, Anthony Velasco, will receive the Stonewall Humanitarian Award for his life-changing programs for the LGBTQ+ community, those living with HIV and the effort to fulfill the 90-90-90 challenge, the ambitious treatment target to help end the AIDS epidemic.
The Rage Monthly caught up with Transgender Health and Wellness Center Executive Director, Thomi Clinton, to gain more insight about the center and this milestone event.
Clinton explained why this cause is so near and dear to her heart, “Helping the Transgender community is very dear to me because 50 years later they remain double, triple the statistics where others have not: they rank the highest when it comes to violence, employment discrimination and HIV diagnoses.”
She elaborated further, “Transgender Community Coalition was formed in 2014 and in May of 2018 we opened the Transgender Health and Wellness Center. From May to December over 24,000 have been through our doors seeking help. We remain the most invisible community and our disparities are overlooked. We came up with the Stonewall Humanitarian Awards to educate the community and the younger generation about Stonewall while recognizing the achievements of others that not only protect equality but fight against inequality.”
For those who may not know, Clinton explained the 90-90-90 challenge. “It is for those crusaders who believe that we can end the AIDS epidemic, help everyone know their status and prevent new diagnoses. As part of the challenge we seek out Transgender, Intersex, Gender Non-Conforming and Non-Binary and Gender Diverse people and explain how to prevent HIV infection and live more healthy lives. We link those living with HIV into healthcare so they can become undetectable. There is an estimated 7,200 Transgender people living with HIV in the Inland Empire that we are linking into healthcare.
As to how The Rage Monthly’s readers can get involved and help, Clinton offered this, “Over the past ten years we have helped so many facing hardship and inequality and it’s now time to make the T equal in the LGB family alphabet,” she said.”
Our youngest is 14 months and our oldest is 72 years old now. We need support from those who want to help pave the road for equality and to ensure that those youth have a place free to be not only who they are, but to reach their highest potential. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000 to expand vital services. Funds are very critical to the survival of this first Transgender Health & Wellness Center and help pay the rent in order to remain open and provide for the community, so all contributions are greatly appreciated.”
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center is located at 35-325 Date Palm Drive, Suite 107 in Cathedral City. For more information, call 760.202.4308, email Thomi Clinton at Thomi@Trans.health , or go to trans.health or transcc.org.
The Stonewall Humanitarian Awards will take place Thursday, June 13 at Camelot Theatres (Palm Springs Cultural Center), 2300 East Baristo Road in Palm Springs. For tickets and more information, go to palmspringsculturalcenter.org/tribe_event/stonewall-humanitarian-awards.
