Talking Trans History

As part of its "Trans History Initiative," the Rainbow History Project hosted a "Talking Trans History" panel with Earline Budd, Rayceen Pendarvis, and Gabrielle "Gibby" Thomas. Earline Budd has been a trans-identified activist since the 1970s. Rayceen Pendarvis is an event host, speaker, community advocate, and lifelong Washingtonian. Gabrielle Thomas, affectionately known as "Gibby," is a native of the DMV who began her work in the LGBTQ community in 1989 as a caregiver for people with HIV.

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Earline Budd has been a trans-identified activist since the 1970s. During the 1980s, she started her work with HIV and AIDS support; she has won several discrimination lawsuits, including against the DC Department of Corrections for its treatment of trans inmates; she has worked with incarcerated people and sex workers; and, founded both Trans Health Empowerment and Empowering the Transgender Community. Earline has won numerous awards, including the Engendered Spirit Award from Capital Pride Alliance and the Trans Equality Now Award from the National Center for Trans Equality. In 2007 she received Rainbow History Project's Community Pioneer Award.

Rayceen Pendarvis is an event host, speaker, social media personality, community advocate, and lifelong Washingtonian. In addition to hosting and co-hosting events and online content by Team Rayceen Productions (including ten years of The Ask Rayceen Show, from 2012 to 2021), Rayceen regularly hosts festivals, fundraisers, and various annual events. Over the decades, Rayceen has received numerous honors, among them having been recognized as a Capital Pride Hero in 2016, named Local Hero by the Washington Blade in 2021, and voted Most Committed Activist in the Washington Blade 2022 Best of LGBTQ DC Readers' Choice Awards. As an inspirational speaker, a tireless advocate for the community, disseminator of information, and host of numerous LGBTQ Pride events, Rayceen has earned the monikers High Priestess of Love, Goddess of DC, Queen of the Shameless Plug, and Empress of Pride.

Gabrielle Thomas, affectionately known as "Gibby," is a native of the DMV who began her work in the LGBTQ community in 1989 as a caregiver for people with HIV. She has worked for Us Helping Us, Transgender Health Empowerment, Terrific, Inc., and currently Damien Ministries and its "Trans Specific" programming called Shugg's Place. Gabrielle is committed to serving the transgender Older Adult community and is dedicated to educating Older Adults in the area of safer sex and healthy relationships and the tools needed to increase healthier outcomes in all areas of the community. In 2011 she was honored with the "Engendered Spirit Award" by Capital Pride. In 2021 she was honored with an award from the Transmasculine community for the work she has done for the trans community.

The recording of this panel was done by Small Wonder Media, Inc., and financed through a 2023 grant from the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

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