San Francisco continues to serve as safe haven on Transgender Day of Remembrance

"Any time, you could experience someone who is just incensed and hateful just because you're existing,"

"If we're lucky, it's from old age, but unfortunately it's more than likely from systemic issues or just straight up violence,"

"A lot of our living elders remember a day when they were facing even higher levels of violence and threats,"

"The foundation of the case may be about a trans issue or a trans-related issue, but the impacts of the case, the impacts of the ruling or the decision will ultimately impact a lot of different communities,"

Dozens gathered outside San Francisco City Hall to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance. San Francisco has long served as a safe haven for transgender people, with the first Transgender Day of Remembrance held there in 1999. The trans community faces disproportionate rates of poverty, homelessness, systemic issues, and violence. Elders recall earlier periods of even higher violence and incidents such as the 1966 Compton Cafeteria Riot. Hundreds of anti-trans bills and lawsuits at state and federal levels have emerged in recent years. Legal decisions framed as trans issues can produce far-reaching impacts across multiple communities.

Read at ABC7 San Francisco