A year ago, our communities lost a powerful and important voice, activist, author and more, with the death of Leslie Feinberg. Most known as the author of the deep and moving novel Stone Butch Blues, Leslie had broad influence and great courage. Leslie’s wife Minnie Bruce Pratt wrote the book S/he about, among other things, loving Leslie.

In the Jewish tradition in which I was raised, one of the ways that we honor the lives of those who have passed on is by, on the one-year anniversary of their death, speaking about their lives and accomplishments. We can then honor the lives of those who came before us by carrying forward their important efforts.

As an out “butch” who lived outside traditional gender boxes, and who was an unapologetic activist for social justice and civil rights, Leslie Feinberg has been an inspiration to me and to so many others.

Pratt shared: “Feinberg was the first theorist to advance a Marxist concept of ‘transgender liberation,’ and her work impacted popular culture, academic research and political organizing. She believed in the right of self-determination of oppressed individuals, communities, groups and nations.”

She preferred to use the pronouns she/zie and her/hir for herself, but also said, “I care which pronoun is used, but people have been respectful to me with the wrong pronoun and disrespectful with the right one. It matters whether someone is using the pronoun as a bigot, or if they are trying to demonstrate respect.”

Feinberg authored two other nonfiction books, Transgender Warriors: Making History and Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue, and the novel, Drag King Dreams. Leslie was a member of Pride at Work (AFL-CIO), the National Writers Union, and United Auto Workers Local 1981.

I had the honor and pleasure to meet Leslie a few times, and to hear her speak publicly. It is important to honor those with the courage to speak truth in the face of oppression, and to inspire us all to bring our whole selves forward in the work to build a better world. May Leslie’s work for justice for all, including economic and transgender liberation, live on and strengthen.

Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan was electedto serve as Oakland’s citywide councilmember. She serves currently as Vice Mayor. She is working for safe neighborhoods, for local jobs and for a fresh start for Oakland. Vice Mayor Kaplan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, obtained a Master’s degree from Tufts University and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.