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San Francisco Trans March: June 25, 2004

Date: June 25, 2004
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Event Type: Protest March, Pride Event
Organized by: Transgender, GenderVariant, and Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP), local activists, Cecilia Chung
Significance: First transgender-led Pride march in San Francisco history

Overview

The first San Francisco Trans March was held on June 25, 2004. It was a groundbreaking act of protest and visibility, created by and for transgender people in response to systemic violence, invisibility, and exclusion. Sparked by an anonymous email, the march united thousands in Dolores Park and became a permanent part of San Francisco’s Pride weekend.

Origins and Catalyst

In March 2004, a passionate anonymous email circulated among Bay Area activists. It called on all gender-diverse people to unite, show up, and take space. It read in part:

“We are calling for this march to demonstrate that we are a significant and growing portion of the lgbtiq community… to support one another as a community, through all of our struggles; to speak out against violence, hate, transphobia, and the oppression of any and all of us… and to be fabulous and powerful in the company of others that are fabulous and powerful. Dress up, show up, bring signs, speak out, and be what happens.”

The message reached trans organizers during the early stages of the trial for the 2002 murder of Gwen Araujo, a young Latina trans woman. When the trial ended in a mistrial in April 2004, it fueled anger and renewed demands for justice. The community’s grief became action.

Political and Social Context

At the time, transgender people were still widely excluded from mainstream LGBTQ spaces. San Francisco Pride events in the 1970s had actively barred trans women and drag performers. Despite their roles in Stonewall and Compton’s Cafeteria, trans people were often pushed out of the movement they helped start.

The 2004 Trans March was a direct challenge to that exclusion. It reclaimed trans presence, honored the fallen, and laid claim to the streets with pride and rage.

Organizing and Community Support

The march came together rapidly through grassroots effort. Key organizers included:

  • Cecilia Chung, board member of SF Pride and longtime trans activist
  • TGIJP, which provided vision and structure
  • Castro Country Club, which helped host fundraisers
  • Good Vibrations, which donated water and drinks
  • SF Pride and the Dyke March, which offered logistical and financial support

Between $3,000 and $5,000 was raised to pay for sound equipment, safety volunteers, restrooms, and a transformation booth.

Cecilia Chung: “The community came together fast. We all knew what was at stake. And we knew trans people couldn’t wait another decade to be included.”

Event Details

Date: June 25, 2004
Start Location: Dolores Park
End Location: Civic Center Plaza
Attendance: 2,000 to 3,000 people

The event included:

  • Live speeches and performances
  • A resource fair
  • A transformation booth

Notable guests included:

  • Kamala Harris, then San Francisco District Attorney
  • Gwen Araujo’s family, represented by attorney Gloria Allred

The tone was political, urgent, and unapologetically trans.

Mission and Goals

The march was created to:

  • Inspire trans and gender-nonconforming people to imagine a safer, more just world
  • Promote unity, intersectionality, and public visibility
  • Reject tokenism and exclusion in the broader LGBTQ community
  • Provide space for resistance, healing, and celebration

From the beginning, the march welcomed all ages and identities. It emphasized horizontal leadership, rotating organizers, and community control.

Personal Reflections

Mia Satya, Trans March volunteer and later organizer:
“That first march changed lives. I danced in the streets for the first time in my real body… in front of 5,000 people cheering. It was the first time I saw a crowd celebrate my existence.”

Cecilia Chung:
“The march wasn’t just about Gwen. It was about all of us who were invisible. All of us who kept showing up to a movement that kept leaving us behind.”

Legacy and Growth

The Trans March became an annual tradition on the Friday before San Francisco Pride. It continues to grow in size and impact.

Key milestones:

  • 2005: Becomes an annual Pride weekend event
  • 2012: Adds Youth and Elder Brunch to connect generations
  • 2016: Helps rename a Tenderloin street to honor the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot
  • 2018: Celebrates creation of the world’s first Transgender Cultural District

The march helped launch or strengthen:

  • FTM International
  • Transgender San Francisco
  • Trans-led events at the SF LGBT Center
  • Regular community town halls and job fairs

“We’ll keep marching until we don’t have to any more.” — Mia Satya

Why It Mattered

  • Visibility: Created space for trans people to be seen, heard, and celebrated
  • Empowerment: Showed trans joy as resistance and resilience
  • Justice: Elevated Gwen Araujo’s name and demanded legal change
  • Community Building: Connected grassroots groups into a long-term movement

Sources

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