Friday, November 28, 2008
Transgender Day of Remembrance-Vigil Speech
http://transgroupblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/november-20-2008-portland-state.html (http://transgroupblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/november-20-2008-portland-state.html)
November 20, 2008
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon
My name is Jenn Burleton and I am the Founder and Executive Director of TransActive. I am the wife, spouse, partner and significant other of the woman with whom I've shared my life for the past 26 years. We have been the foster parents of two transgender youth.
In the aftermath of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, I traveled to Phuket, Thailand and volunteered whatever talents, skills and abilities I could to the recovery effort. I am old enough to have marched with Jesse Jackson, Ralph Abernathy and James Groppi in the fight for civil rights and fair housing in the late 60's and I am young enough to have voted enthusiastically, idealistically and teary-eyed for President Elect Barack Hussein Obama. I am a middle aged, middle class social liberal.
My name is Jenn Burleton; I am a woman who happens to be transgender and today just happens to be my birthday. It has always been a special time of reflection for me.