Happy 60th Birthday Sylvia

[Shana A]

Saturday, July 02, 2011
Happy 60th Birthday Sylvia
Posted by Monica Roberts at 12:00 AM

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-60th-birthday-sylvia.html

Today would have been the 60th birthday of the mother of the trans and gay rights movement, Sylvia Rae Rivera and it's a bittersweet moment as we celebrate the day she was born in New York City in 1951.

This birthday anniversary dawns with transpeople in New York state facing another long, hot frustrating summer of dealing with the fact that GENDA lopsidedly passed the New York Assembly for the fourth consecutive session, but once again died in the New York Senate.

I had the pleasure of meeting her in May 2000 and having a long conversation with her about the then state of the trans community.  I have a pretty good idea of what her reactions would be to this news if we were still blessed to have her around.