“Talking Trans History” panel

As part of its Trans History Initiative, Rainbow History Project’s first event of 2023 will be a “Talking Trans History” panel discussion.

The panel will take place on Tuesday, January 24, at the Southwest Library branch of the D.C. Public Library, 900 Wesley Place, SW, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Panelists will include Earline Budd, Rayceen Pendarvis and Gabrielle “Gibby” Thomas.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. The program will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. To submit a question in advance, please email info@rainbowhistory.org.

The panel will be recorded by Small Wonder Media and later posted to the RHP YouTube channel.

About our speakers

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 D.C. Department of Corrections for its treatment of trans inmates. She has worked with incarcerated people and sex workers. She also 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, community advocate and lifelong Washingtonian. In addition to hosting and co-hosting events by Team Rayceen Productions (including 10 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 being recognized as a Capital Pride Hero in 2016, being 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 “Gibby” Thomas is a native Washingtonian 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 works with 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.