{"id":28053,"date":"2025-01-28T16:19:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T23:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/?p=28053"},"modified":"2025-02-11T16:46:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T23:46:44","slug":"veronika-fimbres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/veronika-fimbres\/","title":{"rendered":"Veronika Fimbres: The powerful voice of an African-American trans woman fighting against Trump&#039;s America"},"content":{"rendered":"<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-28053-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres.mp3\">https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28054\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28054\" style=\"width: 398px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28054\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres.jpg\" alt=\"Veronika Fimbres\" width=\"398\" height=\"398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres.jpg 400w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Veronika-Fimbres-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28054\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Veronika Fimbres is a force of nature. An African-American trans woman, HIV survivor, and nurse with over 40 years of experience.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a small, sunlit office at the OpenHouse Community Center in San Francisco, Veronika Fimbres sits confidently. At 72, she is a force of nature. An African-American trans woman, an HIV survivor since 1987 and a nurse with more than 40 years of experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Veronika has faced and fought battles that most people couldn\u2019t imagine. Today, she is speaking out again, this time against what she calls the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cwar on humanity.\u201d She currently manages interns and volunteers at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, helping them navigate the complexities of public health in the city.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf people wanted something different, those six million who didn\u2019t vote should have gotten off the couch, left their homes and voted. They should have voted for Kamala Harris if they wanted freedom,\u201d says Fimbres.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEveryone should have known what Trump was going to bring. His first administration was nothing but lies and chaos. He\u2019s had years to plan, to think about it, and now he has Project 2025 \u2013 that\u2019s his playbook. He\u2019s following it, and all we\u2019re seeing is destruction and chaos.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Erasing identities, dismantling rights\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most alarming elements of this administration, says Veronika, is its stance on gender. \u201cDeclaring that there are only two genders\u2014male and female\u2014is wrong,\u201d she says, shaking her head. \u201cThey don\u2019t have the medical or scientific knowledge to understand that gender goes beyond the binary.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The activist also highlights the broader implications of these policies, pointing out how they are designed to invalidate the existence of trans and non-binary people. \u201cIt\u2019s not just an attack on us. It\u2019s a signal to all marginalized groups that their rights are disposable.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She shares her concerns about proposed changes to passports, especially efforts to limit gender markers. \u201cI\u2019m rushing to update my passport,\u201d she confesses. \u201cWho knows how much harder it will be for trans people to travel or even exist with dignity?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>A story of resistance\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Veronika Fimbres, the trans community has always been the backbone of LGBTQIA+ activism. \u201cPeople forget that it was trans women of color who fought at Stonewall. It was trans women who started the Compton\u2019s Cafeteria riots in San Francisco before that. It\u2019s always been us leading the fight.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She worries that this history is being forgotten in a sea of apathy. \u201cWhen Trump was first elected, we marched, we shouted, but now it feels different, more silent. And that\u2019s dangerous. They want us to be silent.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her frustration also extends to divisions within the LGBTQIA+ community. \u201cThe gay community needs to support trans people. We have fought for everyone\u2019s rights, but now we need unity more than ever.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Returning to apathy is not an option\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Veronika\u2019s voice becomes more urgent as she speaks about the dismantling of diversity and equity initiatives. Federal offices are placing staff of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs on paid leave, preparing to eliminate their roles entirely. \u201cThese programs didn\u2019t just help LGBTQIA+ people, they helped women, people of color, immigrants. And now they\u2019re erasing all of that.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She draws parallels to historical injustices, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, where black men were exploited as medical test subjects. \u201cThe government has always used people of color as experiments. Whether it was with Native Americans, Hawaiians or black communities, the history of exploitation is clear.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her words carry weight: Veronika has lived through these systems of oppression, but she continues to resist.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The way forward: fighting together\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the bleak outlook, Veronika still has hope. \u201cThere is a film I saw called Amelia Perez. The actor who plays Amelia Perez could become the first trans woman to win an Oscar. That gives me hope.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it doesn&#039;t stop there, it must lead to action. &quot;We have to defend and protect each other. Lies lead to more lies and conspiracy theories, and that leads to anarchy. We saw that on January 6.&quot;\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trans activist praises the work being done in San Francisco to promote cultural competency and inclusion, but warns that it is not enough. \u201cThis administration thrives on fear and division. They want us to be scattered and disempowered. The only way to win is to stand together.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>A call to action\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Veronika urges people to educate themselves and not fall into the trap of complacency. \u201cJanuary 6 was not just a random event, it was a warning. Trump supporters drank the Kool-Aid, and now they want us to do the same. Don\u2019t let them.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKeep the focus on your freedom. Keep your thoughts clear and think about how you can help the community. Embrace all parts of the community, whether it be straight or LGBTQIA+ allies. We need to support each other now more than ever because we are the enemy, according to the Republican Party. They are afraid of the racial mixing of America, afraid that what they have done will come back to haunt them. But we are not seeking revenge, we are seeking to lift people up,\u201d Veronika reminds everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<em><strong>Further reading<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.project2025.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn about Project 2025 and its implications<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/gay-rights\/the-stonewall-riots\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Delve into the history of the Stonewall riots<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">- <a href=\"https:\/\/transequality.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Explore resources from the National Center for Transgender Equality<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfaf.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco AIDS Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Veronika Fimbres' story is a powerful reminder that resistance requires action and that the struggle for equality is far from over. Her resilience, experience and voice demand solidarity, determination and, most importantly, our action.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>You may be interested in:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/latin-lgbtqi-community\/\">March to make visible: Latino LGBTQI+ community in California faces discrimination despite rights<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; En una peque\u00f1a oficina iluminada por el sol en el Centro Comunitario OpenHouse en San Francisco, Veronika Fimbres se sienta con confianza. A sus 72 a\u00f1os, es una fuerza de la naturaleza. Mujer trans afroamericana, sobreviviente de VIH desde 1987 y enfermera con m\u00e1s de 40 a\u00f1os de experiencia. Veronika ha enfrentado y luchado [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":28054,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28053","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-community","8":"category-cover"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28053"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28303,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28053\/revisions\/28303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}