“Resilient 👑 #Queen” I attended yesterday a workshop @laguardiacc hosted by @gbrlgrcrmn where he taught us his process on creating a series of #Queer #Icons. I 💭 long & hard who I wanted to honor & decided to 🎉 celebrate 🎉 an unrecognized leader, #MelissaSklarz in the #LGBT community, who fought for decades 4 civil rights, & is resilient in her own journey to find herself anew & healthy. She inspired me to take a more active role in #politics & #socialjustice & navigating my own journey🙏 Melissa! May I be able to stand tall,thriving & be 💕ed as U accomplished! 😘 💗 ❤️ 💗 ❤️ 💗 ❤️ 💗 Sklarz became the first #transgender person elected to office in #NewYork in 1999 when elected Judicial Delegate from the 66th Assembly District. She was the first #trans person from #NY to be a delegate at the @thedemocrats National Convention in 2016, after appointed to the Credentials Committee in 2004 & 2012, & the Rules Committee in 2008. Sklarz was a past Board Co-Chair of the Empire State #Pride Agenda & stood by #NYState Governor Cuomo’s @nygovcuomo side when he announced #TGNC legal & civil rights protections in 2015. She was also with Governor David Paterson when he announced #civilrights protections for transgender state employees in 2009. She helped bring civil rights to transgender people in #NYC in 2002, & has been one of New York’s strongest proponents of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) since the bill was developed (17 years) & passed in 2019.Melissa,was Director of development at Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund in 2016-2019 & is currently @sageusa Senior Goverment Relations Specialist. She served on @nyccouncil #Community Board #2 in #Manhattan for 6 years. She was a former @hillaryclinton delegate from New York at the Democratic National Convention in 2016 and was a voting member of the Electoral College that year. In 2018, Melissa ran 4 @nysenatedemocrats 4 the 30th District in #Queens. Also, Melissa had a speaking role in the @theacademy Award nominated #film “Trans#America.” #TransIsBeautiful #Heroes #Herstory #Jewish #usa 💋 #activist #justice #tikkunolam #hope #progress #Women #Feminist #Feminism #Legend (at LaGuardia Community College) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxNQ5OxFVfO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tf69zt8sztpk