PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rio Sofia, Co-Executive Director of QUEER|ART, on Cecilia Gentili Day Resolution
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127 sec
Rio Sofia, Co-Executive Director of QUEER|ART, testifies in support of Resolution 678 to establish Cecilia Gentili Day. Sofia highlights Gentili's extensive contributions to the LGBTQIA+ community, sex workers' rights, and healthcare access for marginalized groups in New York City.
- Detailed Gentili's work at various organizations, including Aperture Clinic, Decrim, GMHC, and COIN Clinic
- Emphasized Gentili's role in repealing the "walking while trans" ban and passing GENDA legislation for trans protections
- Stressed the importance of continuing Gentili's legacy of fighting for trans liberation, immigrants, and sex workers
Rio Sofia
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Thank you, chair, and good morning, city council.
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So my name is Rio Sofia.
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I am a co executive director at Queer Art, where Cecilia Gentile was proudly a board member, And I'm also proud to call myself, Cecilia Gentile's daughter.
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Not her only daughter, one of 100 and 100 of, people who her whose lives were made possible by her work.
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I met Cecilia at Aperture, clinic, where she grew, Aperture from a program that served 27 trans people in the city to over 500.
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And, yeah, Cecilia has done so, so much for the city.
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She was a cofounder of Decrim, where she fought tirelessly for the decriminalization of sex work, and also was a formative person who in the repeal of the walking all trans ban.
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She, at when she was working at GMHC, she, was instrumental in passing Jenda to ensure legal protections for trans people.
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She also founded the COIN clinic, which is one of the only clinics in the country, if not the only clinic in the country, that primarily serves sex workers, and make sure that they have the health care that they need.
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And, you know, I think that as we gather here for this incredible day to to celebrate and make sure that we're always celebrating Cecilia's, birthday in New York, I, you know, I I wanna think about how for Cecilia, she received so many awards in her life.
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So many that she just kept them in a cardboard box in her closet.
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And she at at one point, she was like, if there aren't material things that come with these accolades, these recognitions, I don't want them.
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So I I want us to remember every January 31st that what Cecilia was fighting for was not about recognition.
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It was about trans liberation, liberation for immigrants, for sex workers, and I want us to carry forth that legacy.
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And so I wanna thank everyone who worked really hard on this, and yeah.
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Congratulations.