Ron Wakabayashi, Officer Broderick Elton, Moderator: Theresa Sparks, Isa Noyola, Masen Davis
Theresa Sparks: Ron Wakabayashi of the Dept. of Justice is introducing a training module for transgendered issues. For the first time, law enforcement across the nation are seeing the same train. Officer Elton from San Francisco talking about transLatino community. Noyola work with SF Commission to reduce violence in community. Davis will finalize and talk about two major initiatives in past 18 months to move dial forward in non-discrimination.
Wakabayashi: I am lone non-subject matter expert here. We see pattern of things occurring, even hate crime data…things that stand out…perpetrators more violent and then drove distances to commit crimes. Because the Dept.of Justice is doing this, creates an opportunity to get you….amazing type of hate email you can get over federal intranet. Affecting comfort level of our own colleagues. Our ranks made up f form police chiefs and U.S. Marshals as well as folks like me from human relations. The course is 101, consolidation of a lot of conversation on transgendered community, a lot of fluidity to it. We are going through another paradigm shift, the transgendered community gives us a new lens — whole different kind of way of looking at who we are and how we understand identity. Our role is to use this logo to get in the door with enforcement. We don’t want to go in that door alone.
We are trying to get into ICE because they are seeing a lot of people who are transgendered. The new training is rolling, we’re in the process of implementation.
Sparks: You can just give the training, it needs context. Working with the communities to give it context across the country.
Elton: SFPD has a bulletin come out every two years, includes how to use pronouns, etc… and create some relevancy points.
Isa Noyola, San Francisco El La Para Translatinas: A variety of issues, including cultural understanding. Keeping that space open and where transwomen can feel part of a community and safe. Main messages, our community of transwomen of color, particularly Latinas, is organizing and taking on these issues on their own terms, developing own safety plans for each other and not always involving the police. Relationship between police and transwomen of color has been bumpy. The conversation is coming from the women.
Officer Broderick Elton: (San Francisco dealing with violence and homicides in the transLatino community. What we found was people were being murdered, but people were afraid to talk to police.) Role playing with cops to see through stereotype responses. Trying to tackle from a lot of different fronts. Educating and empowering about what they can do. It’s about educating officers and the community. Educate people that we are a sanctuary city and that you and report a crime and won’t be reported to ICE.
Sparks: When first did training, they blew us off. Once something in general order, it’s enforceable up to termination. This is part of context that needs to be related to law enforcement to the officers take this seriously.
Isa Noyola, San Francisco El La Para Translatinas: A variety of issues, including cultural understanding. Keeping that space open and where transwomen can feel part of a community and safe. Main messages, our community of transwomen of color, particularly Latinas, is organizing and taking on these issues on their own terms, developing own safety plans for each other and not always involving the police. Relationship between police and transwomen of color has been bumpy. The conversation is coming from the women.
Masen Davis, exec. dir. of Transgender Law Center: Did first training in 1996-97. Realy heartening to see what is happening now. Strong non-discrimination protections when comes to employment; insurance laws; protection in schools. We are the envy from a lot of states when it comes to what we have on paper. Increasingly, seeing federal agencies seeing sex discrimination to include transgendered and gender non-conforming people. Increasing applying to Title IX.
Law requiring school districts to accommodate transgendered and gender non-conforming kids. Our world is changing. When folks like me came out, I didn’t have a word for it until my mid 20s. Leave my jobs and start life anew. It is no longer necessary, no longer advisory. This is kind of info we need to get out there. Need to have our employers across the state understand the transgender community. Kids are coming out earlier. Need for basic support for folks in schools and workplaces. So many kids end up in foster care system. Some are in sex economy because they don’t have any choices.
While we have great laws here, the work is yet to be done.
Discussion:
Wakabayashi: Great demand for the DOJ training. This region is the first to roll it out. This is a major initiative.
Noyola: The amount of work at one school sight is really intense. We found one-off trainings spark a conversation, but it takes an intense training, for students and parents and the school.
Davis: We are all people with basic human rights.
Noyola: Everyone has opportunity to be an advocate.
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