Jazzie Collins

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Jazzie Collins
Born(1958-09-24)September 24, 1958
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 2013(2013-07-11) (aged 54)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
OccupationActivist
Known forTransgender and economic inequality activism

Jazzie Collins (September 24, 1958 – July 11, 2013) was an African American trans woman activist and community organizer for transgender rights, disability rights, and economic equality in San Francisco. Her activism spanned a decade and a wide variety of community organizations, boards, and initiatives focusing on fighting for the rights of minority communities.

Personal life[edit]

Collins was born to a teenage mother in Memphis, Tennessee on September 24, 1958.[1][2] She was born into a strict Baptist family and experienced abuse in foster care.[3] She graduated from Job Corps and later worked as a construction worker and as a hospital orderly.[3]

She moved to San Francisco in 1988 and transitioned a few years later, in her late 40s.[2][1] Collins was open about being HIV-positive.[2]

Activism work[edit]

Collins was active in San Francisco activism in multiple overlapping areas, including tenants' rights, labor rights, transgender rights, and aging and health issues.[2] She began her activist work in earnest in 2002, challenging development plans at the Plaza Hotel on Sixth Street.[2]

Collins served as the vice chair of San Francisco's LGBT Aging Policy Taskforce and as the vice chair of the Lesbian Gay Transgender Senior Disabled Housing Task Force.[4][3] She was a community organizer for Senior and Disability Action, an organization dedicated to defending the rights of seniors and disabled people.[2] She ran the "6th Street Agenda" food pantry and was one of the founders of Queers for Economic Equality Now (QUEEN).[5]

In 2003, she was a member of the Prop L Committee, successfully directing efforts to raise the minimum wage in San Francisco.[6] Collins also helped organize tenant action for the Tenderloin Housing Clinic.[6]

For five years Collins served on the board of directors of the San Francisco Trans March, an annual gathering and protest march.[4]

Legacy[edit]

In June 2013, Collins was honored on the floor of the California state capitol by the Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus for her advocacy work for justice and equality.[7]

Collins died in San Francisco on July 11, 2013.[4] She was remembered by one of the organizations she was dedicated to, Senior and Disability Action, as "fearless, inspiring, loving," and as a "beloved fighter".[8]

The first homeless shelter in the United States for the adult LGBT community was opened in 2015 and named Jazzie's Place in honor of Collins.[9] The shelter, located in San Francisco's Mission District, is operated by Dolores Street Community Services and is intended to serve as a safe haven for the homeless LGBT population, who are at a greater risk of violence and abuse.[9][10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "LGBT Aging Policy Task Force (LGBTAPTF)". San Francisco Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Buchanan, Wyatt (13 July 2013). "Jazzie Collins, S.F. transgender activist, dies". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Allison, Bruce (14 July 2013). "Poverty Hero: My friend Jazzie Collins". POOR Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Giovanniello, Sarah (16 July 2013). "Remembering Jazzie Collins, transgender activist". GLAAD. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  5. ^ Ortiz, Colton. "9 Disabled Activists from the Queer Rights Movement". Disability Pride Week 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b Al-Mohamed, Day (16 February 2016). "Black #Disability History: Jazzie Collins, Transgender Activist and Community Organizer". Lead On Network. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Assemblymembers Rich Gordon and Tom Ammiano's Statement on the Life and Work of Jazzie Collins" (Press release). 11 July 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Remembering Jazzie Collins". Senior and Disability Action. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b Green, Emily (16 June 2016). "Groundbreaking shelter for LGBT homeless opening in the Mission". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  10. ^ Childers, Linda (31 May 2016). "Nation's First LGBT Adult Homeless Shelter Opens in San Francisco". California Health Report. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
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