1 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Samantha, and welcome to stuff I've never 2 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: told you a production of iHeartRadio. And y'all bear with 3 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 1: me because today I am all by myself because my 4 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: dear lovely co host Annie is out and about doing things, 5 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: fixing things, you know, doing all the good stuff. 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: Maybe it's Star Wars related. I don't know, JK. 7 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 1: But yes, today I am alone and we are here 8 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: to do our feminists around the world. And of course, 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: happy AAPI History Month. What do I mean Asian American 10 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: History Month? 11 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: You know you know this stuff. 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: And as always, we are here to celebrate all the 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 1: activists who continue to work for all of us and 14 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: the rights of everyone. And today we are talking about 15 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 1: Chinese American activists who has done some amazing work and 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: continue to do so today, and that is transactivist Cecilia Chung. 17 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 2: Now. 18 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: Chung moved from Hong Kong with her family at the 19 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: age of nineteen and nineteen eighty four, she actually moved 20 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: here to Los Angeles with her family, but soon moved 21 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: to San Francisco, where she would go to school at 22 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: the City College of San Francisco and would eventually graduate 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: with a degree in international management from the Golden Gate University, 24 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: and it was soon after this Chung actually began her transition. 25 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: She has talked about knowing that she was different from 26 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,639 Speaker 1: a very young age. She spoke about how she felt 27 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: misunderstood as a child, and in an interview with a 28 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 1: local ABC News in San Francisco, she said, quote, they 29 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: would consider me a problem child because I like to 30 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: argue a lot. I had this feeling of being different 31 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: that I didn't know how to tell them. I was 32 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: definitely misunderstood. Nobody gave them a handbook on what to 33 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: do when your sons turn out to be gay, or 34 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: what to do when your sons turn out to be 35 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: a daughter. And yeah, this was something that she would 36 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,639 Speaker 1: go through throughout her life. But soon after graduated in college, 37 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,080 Speaker 1: she would go on to work as a court interpreter 38 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: and working in finance, but soon wanted to live her 39 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: life openly and not hide anymore, and at the age 40 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: of twenty two, she started her transition. Her decision wasn't 41 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: an easy one for her. She soon lost her job 42 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: and her relationship with her family suffered and they stopped 43 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: speaking to each other for about three years. And with 44 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: all her hardships, she soon became homeless. She then turned 45 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: to sex work to survive, and it was during the 46 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,679 Speaker 1: hard times that she found out she was HIV positive 47 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: and was even assaulted and her harassed during her time. 48 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: But even through her difficult times, she never regretted her 49 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 1: decision to transition. She said in another interview that even 50 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: though through this it sounds painful, but it's actually more 51 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: painful to know who you are. I would rather be 52 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: really trying hard to survive than to look in the 53 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: mirror and not see myself. And she used these experiences 54 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: to push forward in her advocacy for her community. In 55 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four, she joined the Transgender Discrimination Task Force, 56 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: which quote issued a landmark report on the injustices that 57 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: trans individuals faced every day. The task forces efforts led 58 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: the city to enact several pioneering anti discrimination policies, and 59 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: it was during this time she also worked as a 60 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: counselor for residential facilities and housing programs, as well as 61 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: an HIV test counselor. However, in nineteen ninety five, Chong 62 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: was assaulted and attacked, which led her to being hospitalized 63 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: with severe injuries. But then this soon would lead her 64 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,560 Speaker 1: to being able to reconcile with her family, specifically her mother. 65 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 1: She and her mother have since had a close relationship 66 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: and even do frequent lunch dates together. In that same 67 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: local interview we talked about earlier, her mother said, quote, 68 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: she was very unhappy when she was a boy, and 69 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: now she's completely changed. What can I say? I love 70 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: her and she loves me. That is all that is 71 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: needed for a mother. And apparently her mother works as 72 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: an advocate for other trans folks parents as well, in 73 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: counseling them and walking them through how to be supportive. 74 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: So that's really cool to hear. 75 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: And with that support and her love for her community, 76 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: Chung has been hard at work and advocating for her people. 77 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: She became the first transgender woman and Asian person to 78 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: be elected to chair the board of directors of the 79 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Prize Celebration, and 80 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: in two thousand and two, she joined the board of 81 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:18,799 Speaker 1: the Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center, working with the mobile 82 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: HIV testing project for transgender youth. In two thousand and five, 83 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: she was named the first deputy director of the Transgender 84 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: Law Center and is now the director of Evaluation and 85 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: strategic initiatives for the Transgender Law Center. 86 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 2: So she's been hard at work, y'all. 87 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: She's been working hard to fight against the anti trans 88 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: violence as well, which is happening all over the country. 89 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: She's been outspoken about the dangers against the trans and 90 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: non binary community today, and she told the local news 91 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: that she got involved after quote seeing the inequality and 92 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: the inequality in the systems and how little transgender people 93 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: get as resources, how many hoops they have to jump through. 94 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 2: In order to get those services. 95 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: And now, Yeah, when she was asked how changes could happen, 96 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: she said, the only way that we can really create 97 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: change is not just changing people's minds. We also need 98 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: to find ways to change people's hearts. If everyone realized 99 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,279 Speaker 1: that they might have a friend, a cousin, a coworker, 100 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter or 101 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: grandchild who is transgender, maybe they will start shifting some 102 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 1: of these conversations. She is obviously very passionate and showing 103 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: kindness and love and empathy when it comes to the community, 104 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: and she's been one of the biggest leaders in these 105 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: types of conversations, and it isn't surprising that she has 106 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: been acknowledged for her amazing works, including receiving the Levi 107 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: Strauss and Company Pioneer Award committed by the San Francisco 108 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: Board of Supervisors during Transgender Awareness Week, awarded the San 109 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: Francisco as Foundation Cleve Jones Award, the Human Rights Campaign 110 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: Community Service Award awarded the California Woman of the Year, 111 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: received the Out and Equal Champion of the Year Award, 112 00:05:55,279 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 1: and was given the NAACP one hundred Award in twenty twenty. 113 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,279 Speaker 1: She's been hard at work trying to change policies and 114 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: bring awareness to the needs of the trans community for 115 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: a long time now and has become a leader in 116 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: this movement. Definitely something that we want to keep watching 117 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: as she is still a part of the many of 118 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: the boards and has been recognized officially by governments all 119 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: over the world. 120 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 2: So there you go. 121 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's the beginning of AAPI month and we're going 122 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: to keep pushing forward talking about the history of the 123 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 1: Asian American people as well as the Mani feminists who 124 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: continue to work and advocate for the rights of everyone. 125 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: So yay, Happy Asian American Heritage Month everyone, and if 126 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: you have any suggestions of amazing feminists we should highlight. 127 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: You can email that to us at Stuff Media, Mom 128 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us on 129 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and YouTube 130 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: at stuff Mom Never Told You. We also have a 131 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 1: book coming out in August, and if you want a 132 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:58,600 Speaker 1: pre order, you can at stuff you Should Read dot com. 133 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 1: Thanks so much to are very patient and loving kind 134 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 1: super producer Christina, executive producer Maya, our researcher and media 135 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: magic maker Joey, and to my lovely co host Annie, 136 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,559 Speaker 1: who I dearly miss right now, and of course thanks 137 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: to you our listeners. Stephone Never Told You is a 138 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 139 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 140 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: favorite shows.