I everyone calls me Sylvia. I've had
this name for nine years. This is
respect.
0:05:
I'm on the Christopher Street Pier, or
as it was called in Sylvia Rivera's day,
the Christopher Street docks. In the
1970s, homeless queer New Yorkers had
been pushed to the margins of a hostile
society. But it was here, on the
physical margins of our city, that they
found a home. Sylvia was one of those
New Yorkers. She arrived here at the age
of 11, where she immediately landed in
the center of the gay rights movement.
She befriended the legendary Marcia P.
Johnson, protested at Stonewall, and led
marches for equality. But even among the
queer community, trans New Yorkers were
excluded. Rivera and others were
discouraged from walking in pride, their
participation erased from Stonewall
history.
0:42:
I believe in us getting our rights, or
else I would not be out there fighting
for our rights.
(If I am recalling correctly, the clip around 0:40 is right before/as she got booed by the crowd, someone ran onstage to wrestle the mic off her -HK)
0:48:
This cruelty took a toll. Rivera
developed a substance abuse problem and
was often homeless. When she had nowhere
left to turn, she would sleep here,
waves lapping nearby. Yet, no matter
what hardships she faced, Sylvia Rivera
advocated for others. She and Johnson
founded STAR to house and feed trans
kids. The Christopher Street Pier is
like our city, a place of immense
contradictions. It's where outsiders
found belonging. And it's also where
Marcia P. Johnson's body was found, the
victim of a suspected murder no one was
ever prosecuted for.
1:17:
But even amidst
this, we can chart a clear path forward
that makes our city inclusive. Since
taking office, Donald Trump has waged a
scorched earth campaign against trans
people. The man with the most power has
expended enormous energy targeting those
with the least.
1:32:
New York will not sit
idly by while trans people are attacked.
We'll deploy hundreds of lawyers to
combat Trump's hate. Make New York City
an LGBTQIA plus sanctuary city and
create the Office of LGBTQIA plus
affairs to allocate millions for youth
gender affirming care.
1:49:
We can't bring
Sylvia back, but we can honor her memory
by building a city where trans New
Yorkers are cherished. In a time of
darkness, New York must be the light.