Full Notification

Oakland, CA — The Oakland Police Department supports and embraces differences within our community. On Wednesday, November 20, 2013, Chief Sean Whent and OPD staff will participate in the Oakland celebration of the 15th Annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). Held around the world every November 20, TDOR is a day of sharing, silence, support, community and calling attention to the ongoing epidemic of violence against transgender individuals. Each November, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals killed due to anti-transgender violence around the world over in the previous year are remembered and their loss mourned.

What: East Bay/Oakland Transgender Day of Remembrance
Date: Wednesday, November 20
Time: 5:15 - 6:30 PM
Where: Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, third floor

Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals routinely experience acts of violence against them simply for expressing their gender identity and expression. Many attacks never get reported. The recent horrific act of violence in Oakland against a young gender non-conforming individual while riding a public bus is an everyday reminder of the deadly and pervasive nature of anti-transgender bias. This case, in which Luke “Sasha” Fleischman, 18, was intentionally set on fire while sleeping on an AC Transit bus, has made us all aware of the issue of anti-transgender bias. OPD was able to arrest the suspect in this case, a juvenile male, within a day, and the District Attorney’s Office has charged him with a hate crime, aggravated mayhem, and felony assault.

The Oakland event will feature the reading of the names of those who were killed. Following the ceremony at Oakland City Hall, there will be an optional candlelight vigil at the corner of 13th and Franklin Streets, where Brandy Martell was murdered more than a year ago. The investigation of Brandy Martell’s homicide is still an open and active case. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Oakland Police Department Homicide Division at 510-238-3821 or call Crime Stoppers at 510-777-8572.

Honorary Co-Hosts for the Oakland/East Bay Day of Remembrance Event are Congressman George Miller, D-7, Congressman Mike Honda, D-17, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-13, California State Senate Majority Leader Ellen M. Corbett, Honorable Jean Quan, Mayor of Oakland, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Rebecca D. Kaplan, Oakland Council President Pro Tem, Oakland City Council Member Lynette Gibson McElhaney.

Scheduled speakers include Mayor Quan, Councilmember Kaplan, Council Member Lynette Gibson McElhaney, and Johnna Watson, Oakland Police Department Public Information Officer.

For more information, please contact the Media Relations Office at 510-238-7230 or [email protected].

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