04/07: Interview with Trans Delegates to the Democratic Convention
or download the podcast here.
Diego Sanchez
Diego is Director of Public Relations & External Affairs, AIDS Action Committee, New England’s first and largest AIDS organization. Hispanic Business magazine named him among the Top 100 Most Powerful Latino/as in Corporate America. He formerly led the nation’s first transgender healthcare access program supported by a department of public health. A leading trans health trainer, writer, speaker and presenter, Diego dedicates his community involvement to social justice. He was a founding Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Board Secretary of Boston’s Public Relations Society of America chapter, Steering Committee member and Chair of the Diversity Committee of Boston’s Human Rights Campaign chapter, a founding Board member of Somos Latino/as LGBT Coalition and the National Center for Transgender Equality. Accredited by PRSA, Diego is a Rhodes Scholar candidate and a UMass/Boston Emerging Leaders Senior Fellow. Diego is also the first transgender person appointed by a DNC Chair to the DNC Platform Committee and was named a Party Leader and At-Large Delegate. A former LGBT National Advisory Committee member for Hillary Clinton, he serves on Sen. Obama's LGBT Advisory Team and on the Transgender Working Group.
Amanda Simpson
Amanda Simpson, is a senior employee of over twenty years at Raytheon Missile Systems. She remained in the same position since prior to her gender transition, working with management and human resources to smooth concerns. Since her successful workplace transition, Amanda has consulted and advised numerous employers and gender variant employees. Amanda became the first openly transgender candidate to win a primary election in the United States in her run for the Arizona State Legislature in 2004. 2004 Tucson YWCA Woman on the Move Award, 2005 Arizona Human Rights Fund Individual honoree.
Marisa Richmond, PhD
Marisa Richmond is President of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Equality Project & Board of Advisors of NCTE. she is a former Board Member of AEGIS, IFGE, NTAC, & Nashville's Rainbow Community Center. She served as Co-Chair of Southern Comfort in 2001, chaired the host committee of the 2002 IFGE Convention in Nashville, & served on the Planning Committee for Nashville Black Pride in 2004. She won the Trinity Award in 2002 & the HRC Equality Award in 2007.
Melissa Sklarz
Melissa Sklarz became the first transgender person elected to office in New York in 1999 when she was elected Judicial Delegate from the 66th Assembly District. In 2004, Melissa became the first transgender person from New York to be part of the state delegation at the Democratic National Convention, by being appointed to the Credentials Committee. She has also been appointed to the Rules Committee for the 2008 Convention. In 2003, Melissa was elected to the executive board of the National Stonewall Democrats and has served 6 years on the Executive Board of Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats (GLID) in Manhattan and served 5 years on Community Board #2 in Greenwich Village. She also serves as Director of the New York Trans Rights Organization (NYTRO). In 2005, Melissa appeared in a featured role in the film TRANSAMERICA
