S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition. Today we're talking about the unique set of hardships LGBTQ immigrants are facing , plus the reasons behind the upcoming drag march for trans rights. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. The work local organizations are doing to help LGBTQ immigrants navigate the moment amid raids.
S2: LGBT people are everywhere , so we're definitely migrants where some of us are happy to be undocumented , where people are struggling with making sure that our dignity is respected in so many different levels.
S1: Plus , organizers of the upcoming Drag March for Trans Rights hope to advocate and celebrate the trans community. That's ahead on Midday Edition. Immigration raids across the country and in San Diego are inciting fear , uncertainty , even outrage. And it's happening against the backdrop of Pride Month. So we wanted to talk about the intersectionality of being an LGBTQ+ immigrant. Local organizations say immigrants who came to the US seeking asylum from persecution because of their sexuality or gender identity could face a different set of challenges from these raids. My next two guests are here to talk about that. Gloria Cruz Cardenas is the chief impact officer at the San Diego LGBT Community Center. Gloria , welcome back to the show.
S3: Thank you for having me. Glad to be here.
S1: Glad to have you. And Max dispositif is the executive director at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. Max , welcome to you , too.
S2: Glad to be here.
S1: Thank you. Glad to have you. So first , there have been multiple immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in San Diego and LA. What are your initial reactions to this ? Gloria , I'll start with you on that. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. No , thank you for having us and bringing this important topic to our community. We know that historically , LGBTQ plus migrants are often disproportionately affected by immigration enforcement and detention. Um , you know , we know folks , uh , from our community are detained , you know , face higher risk of abuse , isolation and many times , access to affirming care. And we know that , you know , with what we've been seeing here in San Diego and also in LA and other parts of the country that , um , you know , LGBTQ plus migrants are being , um , you know , detained and , and having to face this type of , uh , risk during detention.
S1:
S2: Thank you. I think also , um , it's an opportunity for us to share with the world and our community , in this case that , um , LGBT people are everywhere , so we're definitely migrants where some of us are happened to be undocumented , where people are struggling with making sure that our dignity is respected in so many different level. The due process when it comes to my being served as a migrant , but also as LGBT identities , as Gloria pointed out. So. Right.
S1: Right.
S2: It doesn't allow them to be authentic to themselves. So we receive a lot of trans folks. It comes through the border they had to literally hide from their own community. And then once they come into the US , they had to hide as a migrant , right ? So there , it's a dual challenge for them. In , in experiencing , um , uh , the experiences of migrants. And right now with these raids , obviously the criminalization so migrants as a whole um , in being racial profile just for being here and not look like someone that belongs. It's definitely challenges for LGBT people , uh , along with many others , of course. But the peculiar , peculiar challenges of LGBT people has to do with their own identities , even within , within their own communities.
S1: And , Gloria , you touched on it earlier. Uh , what are your thoughts ? Yeah.
S3: No , definitely. I agree with Max. And I also think that this type of enforcement right , like that , it's , uh , it's , uh , it's targeted to , uh , our community. Right. And we live in , uh , at the intersection of our identities. And , you know , we've seen many of these. Rates are just you know , they're not really like targeting people who had any history in particular. We know that , um , they're they're focusing on , uh , for instance , recent arrivals in these last few years. Uh , many of the recent arrivals have been members of the LGBTQ plus community who have , you know , left their home countries after being persecuted for their identity. Right. And so I think part of that we're seeing is this , um , this type of , of rates are also creating a climate of fear , uh , especially for those folks who have recently arrived and have , um , you know , are in the middle of their asylum claim or they're in process of adjusting their status. And now , um , you know , being , getting , getting caught in this , in this process where , um , you know , this limbo we've seen , uh , increase of presence of , uh , this type of , of ice , uh , rates at the courts. Right. And uh , many folks are , uh , showing up to their immigration hearing , Um , to , uh , you know , uh , follow the process of seeking asylum , which is a right that many of these folks have and and it's awarded. Right. And so , um , we definitely seen the increase of fear , but folks are still going through , through their hearings. And we're seeing this fear mongering happening at the courthouse as well. And so part of it , what we're doing is uplifting , uh , local resources that , um , you know , so hopefully , folks , as they're showing up to their hearings , they're also , uh , having some type of representation and basic information related to their rights as well as they're facing this new challenge , which is , you know , this type of confrontations that are happening. Mm.
S1: Mm. Well , you know , there are several local groups here that advocate for trans migrants. And I'm wondering if you can talk about some of the additional hardships they're facing and particularly trans women. Gloria. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. No , uh , part of the work that we do here at the center , we have a project trans , and we also have a , a community group , uh , transgender , which they recently , um , celebrated 25 years. And so a lot of these folks have been working with the community for many years. And , you know , one of the challenges is that , you know , many of the folks that we've been supporting have already gone through the credible fear interview , have gone through the legal process. And , you know , at the same time , we're also facing challenges accessing health care. We've seen the recent acts at the state level , where some of this funding that was going to support some , this expansion of Medi-Cal , um , now it's going to be impacting , uh , many , um , transgender folks who are going through their , um , transition process and needing that , that access to that health care. And so there's there's a lot of , um , um , barriers that are coming along with this type of heavy enforcement. And we see the trans community being heavily impacted , um , with this double impact , right ? It's on the immigration front , but also in the direct attacks this administration is having on the transgender community.
S1:
S2: Um , I think the , um , fear of being erased as identity is part of this process and this journey. So a lot of the migrants that come here , they're really hoping , uh , to find a better place. And unfortunately , in the past few months alone , they have experienced the violence that is very similar to the one that they used to experience from the from the , you know , the place where they're coming in and running away from. So the lack of applying for refugee status , the lack of support in doing so , the lack of due process is making all of that very , very difficult , even more than it already was. Mm.
S1: Mm. Well , I want to talk about the support you all offer. Because Max , the North County LGBTQ Resource Center , has immigration services that help people navigate some of these problems.
S2: Um , not only those that happen to be LGBT , but all of them. Just two years ago , our center was in the front line of supporting the , uh , migrants that were dropped at the Oceanside train station. At that time , we had unleashed a collaboration with Interfaith Community Services to do that , just to connect migrants with their sponsors through our United States. And we've done that for that for months during that crisis. So we do services at the center. They are helping people to be connected , uh , to legal services , but also advocacy , uh , in partnerships also with the San Diego Job Center. We had done a lot of know your rights in Spanish and English , really informing and empowering our community about the rights , even when they we can see that they're not often respected. Uh , I think there is a lot of , um , power in providing , um , documentations but also information to our migrants community so they can feel safe here in our LGBT respective LGBT center. So the work goes beyond just , uh , getting people to services , but even creating safe spaces where everyone , migrants or not , can feel comfortable to come forward and ask questions and also , uh , being supporting their journey of becoming documented.
S1: And you're also working with Jewish Family Services and other groups , uh , to make those resources more robust , correct ? Yes.
S2: Starting this summer , uh , because of our successful , uh , previous years in providing these resources , uh , beginning in the summer , we will collaborate with Jewish Family Services in providing even more connections that we already have in terms of legal referrals , but also information that we can make sure it's accurate and proper because it's constantly changing. In supporting our LGBT migrants here in North San Diego County. Um , we have other great organization for San Diego County. They are doing the work of supporting migrants like Universidad popular , for instance. For instance , I would say , uh , our work is more with the lenses of queer people and understanding the challenges , the peculiar challenges LGBT people are experiencing through that process. Mm.
S1: Mm.
S3: And , um , you know , as , uh , Max mentioned , you know , we've been partnering with the North County Center and other local organizations to do this. Know your rights , uh , Workshops where we're bridging and connecting community to local , um , immigration attorneys and services. Um , we have created a website that is , uh , specific , um , uh , including a lot of , uh , know your rights information at the local level. At the national level. We produce , uh , information , uh , packets for the community with disseminated them throughout the county so that members of our community access information related to any impacts of raids or any engagement with Ice or any other law enforcement. And so we've been , um , you know , ensuring that we're , uh , maintaining our community and inform. Um , in addition , you know , we , um , are the largest LGBT , uh , center along the US-Mexico border. And so we've also been working in our partnerships with the Mexican government in particular , uh , this this past week , um , on June 5th , we signed a , an MoU with the Mexican consulate here in San Diego. And part of this partnership is to ensure that Mexican nationals and and and Mexican American individuals that need to access consular services are are being connected , including our other partner organizations that are on the on the ground doing a lot of this work , uh , like Proyecto Trans Latina and other organizations that have been really mobilizing around ensuring Mexican nationals , nationals have access to consular services here in San Diego. And so , um , you know , really expanding our reach and ensuring that the immigrant community at large , um , is accessing our service , our overall services. Um , and we also have our Latinx , uh , services , um , department , where folks can also access , uh , specific resources directly to the Latinx community.
S1: What you mentioned the center is partnership with the Mexican Consulate of San Diego.
S3: I mean , this is a historic moment for us to have this MOU with them. And , you know , we're seeing this play out in LA and in other major cities , which some of these rates are happening. Uh , the fact is that the , the majority of folks that are in our state , for instance , uh , uh , that are , um , undocumented , are uh , are part of the Mexican community. And so it was important for us to be able to build that relationship and bring in that , uh , affirming , um , uh , and protective , um , uh , service that we do as an LGBT organization into that space as , uh , Mexican nationals are encountering any type of deportation or , or process of removal that , uh , the Mexican consulate and the agencies that are here on behalf of the Mexican government , um , are utilizing culturally appropriate language and also our understanding of how it is to provide affirming services to our LGBTQ plus community.
S1: Still ahead , our conversation continues with resources available to LGBTQ plus immigrants. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman , I'm here with Gloria Cruz Cardenas , chief impact officer at the San Diego LGBT Community Center , and Max dispositif , executive director at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. We're talking about how two local organizations are supporting migrants during this moment and the intersectionality of being an LGBTQ plus migrant.
S2: Also , I'm a former undocumented person for many years. I used to struggle through the visibility of being someone trying to do work in California , but also being undocumented myself. That was quite some time ago , but I would say the story that came to us , our story of isolation and violence. I don't think a lot of people realize that the journey of coming to the US , it's already a deadly journey. I commend the center in San Diego for establishing this partnership with the with the ambassador of Mexico , because also our job is to take care of our siblings outside the border. And there are a lot of LGBT people that are waiting to enter. They are actually applying the legal process , you know , come in for safety Sometimes in their journey of waiting for coming over is where they are actually being harassed or even killed. So these relationships are really life savings. And because when people come here , they need the support. They it's not just material physical support , but also they understand , you know , our communities so that we can really rally with them and not against them.
S1: And Gloria , are you comfortable sharing anything about your journey ? Yeah.
S3: That's similar. Like Max shared , you know , I , I also used to be undocumented myself and , you know , really , um , see that the journey many of folks make and , you know , I came here as a unaccompanied child myself and really navigating being LGBTQ plus and an undocumented person really was a very difficult thing for me. And I know that that's the experience of many folks in our communities. And for me , it's , um , another reason why this work is so important , but also very personal. You know , seeing that our community in general that are being harassed at this moment and being , uh , criminalized through this , uh , show of , of heavy , uh , force , uh , through this Ice raids. You know , it's really dehumanizing of our community. And definitely have experienced that. And and seeing that , playing that at a larger scale in this moment. You know , it's it's difficult. But , you know , for me is , uh , another reason why I continue to be part of this fight in this and look at this work that we do in our organizations from intersectional lens. Um , you know , we are choosing to care and treat our communities with dignity and justice , and we're not going to stop. You know , and I think part of it is where we're combating the misinformation , but also ensuring that our LGBTQ plus immigrant community is feeling safe in our in our community , and that the community at large understands how much what's currently happening around immigration impacts our LGBT community as well.
S1:
S2: We're very used to counter false narratives that have affected the entire LGBT community. Immigration aside , I think in the past three years we've seen ramping up those false narratives against our community in school boards , in city council meetings , literally , even though we knew this new administration wasn't going to be supportive of our identities. Definitely issuing three executive orders against just our own community , trying to erase the existence of some of us in the community , in particular trans folks. I think that's really it's been a new challenge for us , sometimes even the safety of going to work. We are service providers on the frontline on supporting people , including unhoused folks , people that live in poverty. And that's already hard work on its own. But sometimes we have to deal with these narratives that make us vulnerable is sometimes they unleash into violence and and personal attacks. So it's a new world where definitely because LGBT people are everywhere , in different occupations , in different classes as well. At the same time , we feel like the never like before this , what we're experiencing right now has no comparison with any of the past three decades of work in the community. So it's it's a new time and we're trying to address it , change and adapt accordingly in a way that we keep maintaining the safety of our spaces , but also empowering people and doing more in how protecting themselves as well , not just through the center.
S1: And Gloria.
S3: Yeah , you know , I agree with Max. And , you know , I think for us at the San Diego LGBT center , you know , we're just stepping up more and ensuring that we're providing legal clinics , mental health support , HIV prevention. And just ensuring that there's safe spaces for LGBTQ plus community. I know the part of the work has also been to ensure that we are not in silos , as organizations that are leading a lot of the work for our community. So we've been very intentional about ensuring we are partnering with other organizations here in the region so that we , as you know , the continued attacks are against our community happen , that we are a united front and that we are being continued to be resilient , right. Like we have been a resilient community for so long. And and , you know , for us , it's just continue to be resilient and united , but also continue to have pride within who we are as individuals and are part of this community. I think that one of the other big , important things about our community is that we have gone through so much in the past where we've been attacked by our government , be it the Aids crisis or other moments that we had had to step up and be more united. I see that happening now and in a in a bigger scale. And , you know , I think that the larger LGBTQ plus community is seeing that , that we need to stay united. And in this instance where we've seen the attacks on the immigrant community , that we are also ensuring that we're joining the efforts combating any attacks against the community as well.
S1: You know , where can people reach the San Diego LGBT center and the North County LGBTQ Resource Center if they are in need of support.
S3: For the San Diego LGBT Community Center ? They can always call our general line with our phone number (619) 692-2077. Uh , we also have a a resource , uh , page dedicated to know your rights , information and all kinds of information in various languages around Immigrant rights. And you can just go to the the center SDK and you can access information there as well.
S2: For the North County center. Very similar. Is the number though is (760) 994-1690. The website is NC Resource Center. And also you don't have to come to our office in order to be served. We do telehealth. We take appointments over the phone or via zoom. Our caseworkers are taking appointments over the phone or over zoom meeting. Um , we really want to facilitate the support of people and meet them where they are in any part of the region , here in north San Diego County.
S1: All right. And we'll have a link to those resources and more on our page at KPBS midday. I've been speaking with Gloria Cruz Cardenas , the chief impact officer at the San Diego LGBT Community Center , along with Max dispositif , the executive director at the North County LGBTQ Resource Center. Max , Gloria , thank you so much.
S3: Thank you so much. Have a good one.
S2: Thank you for having us.
S1: Coming up , the reason behind this year's drag march for trans rights. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. This Sunday , local drag entertainers are organizing a march for the rights of transgender people in the face of ongoing efforts to pass anti-trans legislation across the country. My next two guests are longtime advocates for the local trans community , and they helped organize this weekend's march. I'm here with Amber Saint James. She is a drag producer , educator and activist along with Paris Sukhumi Max. She's also a drag entertainer , community activist and business owner. Amber Paris , welcome to the show.
S4: Thank you. Happy to be here.
S1: So glad to have you both here. Okay. Well , so this year's Drag March for Trans Rights is really focused on bringing visibility to the trans community during a time when their rights are under attack. Paris.
S4: So the urgency is she's really there for us right now. Specifically for us here. You know , in San Diego. Yes , we're in California. Yes , we're in San Diego. We have a little bit more comfort here as queer folks. So for us here , you know , we look more extended to how we can support our siblings in other states and locations. That doesn't necessarily have the support that we have here. So yeah. Yeah.
S1: And Amber , you know , like , uh , like Parrish said , you know , things are just coming out of of nowhere. Talk a bit more about those things. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. And so one of the things that I feel like is kind of why we continue to do this March is not only just because we are trying to make a stand , and not only in a giant display of like in this moment in time where it feels like our rights are being taken. Well , not what feels like our rights are being taken away. Right ? It feels like our right to existence is being taken away. Even our hopes of like what a new future can look like , feels like it is being taken away or we're being asked to dim ourselves. Why we do this is to have this giant display of we won't be erased. We cannot be erased. We are so much bigger than the moment that is being created , right ? So whether it is legislation that's being passed , what it is , our elected officials who are proving to not actually stand with our community nor protect our community , right. Why we do what we do not only as people who are not producing , but people who are coming together to create this march , but also as producers , as , you know , performers , as trans advocates , like what we do is in trying to inspire people. Right. And I feel like that's one of the things that we wanted to do with this year's March was even in the intention of how we asked our performers to show up in their performances , was to do something with intention , right ? We love our performers that can do the three minute Britney Spears and you know , that is fabulous and iconic. But we also wanted to be able to encourage them to do something that spoke to why they march. Right ? That spoke to why they want to fight for their trans siblings. Right.
S4: And relevant.
S5: Exactly right. And so , so much of why we are excited for this year is not only in how we encourage and provided the opportunity for our entertainers to be able to do that , but is also in how we were able to have so many more people participate. So not only are we doing like the big main show that we always do , not only are we doing the march , but we're also having a pre-show. So as people are doing their their flyer making , as they're making all of their signs and stuff , having something to encourage them right to be activated , to be encouraged , to be uplifted. We've also introduced March Route ambassadors that we're having different spaces where people can feel again , encouraged and empowered while they are marching towards the main show. That happens at Rich's right with the rally and the speakers. Right. So we are really trying to find every way that we can , that we can bring in so much more of our community , because right now we're feeling so disconnected. We're feeling like we have no one. We. We're feeling like there's not a community. Because that is so much of what the opposition wants us to feel like is that we are alone , that we are powerless when we are.
S1: Not that isolation. And there's also this big emphasis rather , you know , on getting the community connected to resources and groups at the march you all are holding outside of events like this one. Is that difficult for people to do ? Yes.
S4: I mean , so I came out initially. Well , I was pushed out of the closet , um , when I was 11 , very young. My mom used the center in Hillcrest to kind of navigate , you know , this journey that none of us knew , you know , what to do with and then eventually came out trans at 16. But , you know , a big thing for my mom that she always tells me was the hardest part was actually just taking the step to be able to walk in and be like , hi , my child is in this situation. You know what support can be given ? Not everybody is brave enough to even do that step though. So I see so much folks in our trans community that come out in their 60s , 70s 80s. And the story seems to be quite similar all the time , is that they didn't have a path to be able to do it. They knew long before , so they were just living in this turmoil this whole time. So it took them a while to be able to one , summon up the courage within themselves and the confidence within themselves , but also to to find what actual resources they actually needed to go to to take their steps into their journey. A lot of times for myself , I have access to a lot of , you know , support. But even for me , for my medical journey , sometimes navigating insurance and navigating , you know , different organizations that support trans folks and being able to get support for myself , that's difficult. So I can only imagine that someone who hasn't walked my path. How daunting and scary it could be for them to be able to do it.
S1: Well , I mean , and the something that you bring up is that some people are just now finding their tribe , if you will , at 60 years old.
S4: So I go to a bar here in San Diego. Um , it's a trans forward bar and someone very specifically dressed up for the first time that day and went to the bar and introduced Introduce themselves , and when they introduce themselves as their chosen name , there was such a glow and a light to it. And then I saw a little bit of emotion coming from them , a little cheeriness and I asked. I was like , hi , okay , where are we at ? And they were like , it's just really nice saying that name out loud to somebody else. I've never said that name out loud to somebody else before. And there was such a light to it. But the sad part for me after that interaction was that that glow and that light had to come from such a dark and not so great place. You know , if that is the if that was what this person got from that , you know , that there was so much want and need and , and just hardship with them holding all of this and , and there's still a little bit of heartbreak for me , you know , behind it for them.
S5: That , I mean , I feel like that's even having spaces like that , right ? Is us understanding like that is a resource as well. Like not only like having like the typical resource of like , oh , there's a resource fair and we run this nonprofit. But like understanding that space is a resource for people. Right. Knowing that that was a space that they could go into and be able to hear their affirming name , be able to to dress in a way that was more affirming for them and recognizing that , like , to be able to have that interaction with Paris , I'm sure , was like something that will forever be a core memory. I feel like that is something that we need to understand is that so many of the resources that we provide to people is so much more than just in the , oh , here was this person to talk to , here is this organization to connect with like we and who we are to people in providing spaces for people that in and of itself can be a resource is.
S4: Very much community like. That's a resource in itself. My friendship with you , my sisterhood , my sibling hood with you is a resource for me. You know , there's so much knowledge that you have and there's so much take that you have on things that I would never get unless I knew you. So that's a resource for me , you know ? No , absolutely.
S5: And I just hope that people remember that , because I feel like a lot of times , especially with everything that's happening right now and people wanting to get active and wanting to do something and feeling like , oh , well , I have nothing to provide. I have no resources , I have nothing to give you providing space to people. That is a resource and it's free. It's something that you can provide at any moment in time. You can do it IRL. You can do it online , right ? It's one of the beautiful things that intergenerational is something that we can provide to one another. So as we talk about folks that are , you know , just coming into themselves at the age of 60 , right , is recognizing that having people around you and finding those spaces and finding those people , that that is a beautiful way to be able to be a resource and be able to provide as a resource. Right ? Yeah.
S1: I mean , you know , so you both are , are longtime community advocates and drag entertainers and a lot of ways drag has a long history of activism. How are you thinking about the intersection between the two during this current moment ? Amber.
S5: Oh , I mean , for me , for people that have ever seen me perform or that follow me on social media , like I , I make it very obvious in the ways that I weave in my activism and my advocacy. Right ? So not only in the performance will it be , I will have some section that is thought provoking , whether that is a monologue , whether that is the visuals that you're seeing , right , that will evoke some kind of emotion , whether that is wanting you to get active , get out there and vote , or get out there and protest , or get out there and get your voice heard. Right. Or whether that is through fashion , right ? Of what am I wearing ? What story is that telling ? Right. I just recently did this collaborative garment with a designer out of Ohio , Terence Henderson. Um , and we did this amazing , amazing black denim look that on the front said we are our ancestors resistance and resilience. And I wanted the font to be very do the right thing. Right. Because I understood what that reference would mean for people. I wanted the fabric to be black denim because that felt very black punk , right ? And so even in how people curate these fashionable moments , there is a statement that can be made right that again invokes for people to feel something , to want to say something , to understand that they too can do things like that. Right. So it's not only just in like , okay , well , I will I be on the front lines of a protest. Yes. Will I be out there sharing resources ? Yes. But also figuring out what are ways that I can get people active. Speaking and thinking , even from the other side of their phone. Right , is understanding that , like all of that is part of the advocacy work that I do.
S1: Yeah , Paris.
S4: I've always said like so we always have a reach right as entertainers. So that in itself is such an opportunity to maybe change your mind , maybe open up somebody's eyes a little bit. A lot of my performances , I tend to stick a little bit more lighthearted. And I'm a Disney person. I mean , just one of my favorite performances is doing reflection for Mulan. But as the song goes , I show my childhood pictures going into my , you know , teenage years and then going into my transition and then going into finally being fully me by the end of the song. And I've always seen such a reaction from folks of like , whoa , it's a nice platform to have. But also with us when we host our shows. Like Amber , I'm sure does it differently. But , you know , I always end my shows with , you know , if you enjoyed our show , you know , I know everyone sees a lot of things about drag queens on social media and on the news. And I just ask everybody that. If you enjoyed our show this morning , please remain an ally to our community all year long. You know , you can't you can't enjoy us one day and then turn around the next and be a hater. That's not cute , you know ? So I always get to end it with a little bit of a spiel like , yeah , we made you laugh and we made you. We made you have a good time and dance around and all that stuff. But this is still an art form , and we are still humans in front of you. And we are still , at the moment , unfortunately , still very vulnerable. So help us out if you're going to love us , love us. Absolutely. You know.
S5: And I also I want to say something because I , I feel like you skirted around like how you perform and I , I want to affirm that you performing and doing the happier side is also like , that is part of that avenue. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. No , totally. Our joy is also exactly.
S5: Our joy.
S4: That joy , like the example of joy and happiness as as who we are. I'm like , yeah , no , totally. I try to make sure that that that is also seen. You know , it can't just be just our hardship because it's a balance of both. And that's what makes us who we are. Absolutely.
S5: Absolutely. That joy. Being able to refill that joy is what allows us to be able to make it through that hardship. Yeah. Mhm.
S4: Mhm. Thank you sister.
S5: Of course.
S6: Oh you're so sweet.
S1: I love it. Um , but speaking of your advocacy and really creating space for joy , I want to circle back to the march. So where can people see you all in action ? Who will be there in the mix of entertainers and local LGBTQ plus groups and and what are you most looking forward to ? Amber. Ooh.
S5: Ooh. I mean , I'm looking forward to the energy. Like , I know with everything that is going on with the many different marches that are going on across the country , across the county , like across San Diego , right ? That I know that that energy , that palpable energy of feeling community , they're feeling like we can do anything because we can do anything. That is what I am most excited for. Right. I mean , I'm also excited because we're going to be having honey mahogany this year. So we're very , very excited to be able to have her come down , speak to all of our amazing community down here to encourage them and uplift them. And I know we every year are always trying to introduce new entertainers into the like , drag portion that happens during the like , speakers and rally and stuff. And so I'm always very , very excited to see the new energy that comes out of them. All of the amazing different people that were having participate this year , both in the pre-show pop up as our March Route ambassadors , all of the typical roles that we've had , you know , and all of that fun camaraderie and sisterhood and sibling hood. I'm just I'm excited for the entire day. I think it's it's going to feel like a family reunion that has that oomph of that purpose of like , we know what we are here to do.
S1:
S4: Every year that we've done this , that the youth and their parents that get to see that , oh , wait , my kid's going to be fine. Like they have this community with them. My kid's going to be fine. And there's the kids that also are navigating who they are at the moment. And we might unknowingly be a reflection to what they need to see at the moment. You know , for me , I it was a very difficult time when I was 11 as a young kid , because my references to trans people at the time were Jerry Springer and Sally Jessy Raphael and Ricki Lake , and all those negative shows where people were yelling at them from the audience and calling them names and saying , you know , inappropriate things to them. So it was such a relief for me when I finally did come out , and I was able to see trans folks that were going through their job and going to their community and and loving and thriving and having healthy lives. So I think that that's something that I've looked forward to every year. And also I've made really great friends with the kiddos and their parents. You can have you make people cry. Every.
S5: Every.
S6: Time they became like.
S4: Lifelong friends. And they're always like going to my shows and my children's shows and everything. So it's really nice. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , Amber Pierce spoke to representation and seeing a reflection of herself and so many people seeing a reflection of themselves on stage.
S5: Um , I mean , representation for me , it is the lifeline of what I do , right ? Like so much of what I do is about being that representation that so many people have felt that they have never seen anywhere , that they have gone right , existing at the intersections of being black and being queer and trans femme and all the other things that I identify as. Right. It feels like there is never enough representation , right ? Because there was so much of an oversaturation of the dominant discourse that you must be , you know , white and cis and all of these things. Right ? Because that's all that we ever tend to see. Right ? And so anyone who exists outside of that always feels like they are , you know , scratching at the opportunity to see themselves represented in anything. And so it has always been something that I hold close to my heart to be that representation in any way , shape or form , that you can look different , you can be different , and you can be just as joyous and powerful as anybody that they say that you can't be.
S4: It's like totally okay. Like it's not a big deal.
S1:
S4: I do have access to , you know , being able to educate folks around me that might not say the right things or might not be educated in the right way , but might be open to education and information , you know. But also , I think I'm hoping that folks start speaking up a little bit more. I'm not telling you to yell at each other , but if you do hear , you know , a coworker or a family member , say something derogatory or negative about the trans community or the queer community , say like , hey , that's not cool. Maybe you can take it further than that and find a way to educate them and whatnot , but at least saying , hey , that's not cool might help them think twice doing that , because a lot of times these folks have people who are their sounding boards and are just agreeable to them all the time. So they're not used to people kind of giving them a heads up of like , you're not being very nice at the moment. So I think the more that we start doing that , the more accountability people will have.
S5: I think for me , what I'm hoping past this march is that people find the comrades that they needed to build their capacity , because I feel like so often as folks that are as involved or not as involved as people want to be within the movement , I feel like the one thing that I hear is always lacking is capacity , right ? And so I feel like what I truly , truly hope for our community , both in this March and in this movement , is that they find those comrades that they can lean on , that can help build that capacity to know that they're not alone in this work , that they are not the single person who is doing this , that there are other people that they can lean on , that they can go to , that they can feel empowered by , that they can cry with right , that they can scream and yell with like whatever it is that they need , that they have that at their fingertips. And I hope that that is I hope that that is what people find at this march , that they find their people to do this work with.
S1: I've been speaking with Amber Saint James , a drag producer , educator and activist , along with Paris Sukhumi Max , drag entertainer and community activist. This year's Drag March for Trans Rights will kick off at Urban Moe's in Hillcrest this Sunday , June 15th , with sign making and a pre-show. A sidewalk march will begin at 3 p.m. , with performances starting at 4:30 p.m.. And of course , we'll have all that on our website , pbs.org. Amber Parris , thank you so much.
S4: Thank you. Thank you.
S5: Honored , truly.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
