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[[File:Cecilia Chung at Trans March San Francisco 20170623-6639.jpg|200px]]

'''Cecilia Chung''' is a civil rights leader and activist for [[wikipedia:LGBT rights|LGBT rights]], [[wikipedia:HIV/AIDS|HIV/AIDS]] awareness, health advocacy and [[wikipedia:social justice|social justice]]. Cecilia is a [[trans woman]]. Her life story was one of four main storylines in the 2017 ABC miniseries ''{{IfExistsLink|When We Rise|When We Rise|[[wikipedia:When We Rise|When We Rise]]}}'' about LGBT rights in the 1970s and 1980s.

== Early life ==
Cecilia was born in [[wikipedia:Hong Kong|Hong Kong]] in 1965 and later immigrated to [[wikipedia:Los Angeles|Los Angeles]] with her family in 1984.<ref name="TransMarch">{{Cite web |url=http://www.transmarch.org/performers/cecilia-chung-chair-the-san-francisco-human-rights-commission |title=Cecilia Chung, Chair of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission |publisher={{IfExistsLink|Trans March|Trans March|{{IfExistsLink|Trans March|Trans March|[[wikipedia:Trans March|Trans March]]}}}}|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404070758/http://www.transmarch.org/performers/cecilia-chung-chair-the-san-francisco-human-rights-commission |archivedate=April 4, 2015 |accessdate=March 12, 2017 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> A year later, she moved to San Francisco to attend [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_College_of_San_Francisco City College of San Francisco] before transferring to [[wikipedia:Golden Gate University|Golden Gate University]] in 1987 with a degree in international management. Afterwards she spent a few years working as a court interpreter in [[wikipedia:Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]],<ref name="SFGate 2013-01-12">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Cecilia-Chung-transgender-health-advocate-4189493.php |title=Cecilia Chung, transgender health advocate |first=Heather |last=Knight |website=[[SFGate]] |date=January 12, 2013 |accessdate= }}</ref><ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16">{{cite web |last1=Ford |first1=Olivia |title=This Positive Life: Cecilia Chung on Violence, Gender, Prisons, Family and Healing |url=http://www.thebody.com/content/71526/this-positive-life-cecilia-chung-on-violence-gende.html |website=The Body |date=May 16, 2013 |accessdate=2016-04-25}}</ref> and as a well-paid sales trainer at a financial company.<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/>

== Activism ==
Cecilia has spent much of her adult life advocating for health related issues affecting the LGBT community. This has included working as a HIV test counselor at [[wikipedia:UCSF AIDS Health Project|UCSF AIDS Health Project]], HIV Program Coordinator at [[wikipedia:API American Health Forum|API American Health Forum]] and as Deputy Director at the {{IfExistsLink|Transgender Law Center|Transgender Law Center|[[wikipedia:Transgender Law Center|Transgender Law Center]]}}.<ref name="TransMarch"/> Additionally, Cecilia is the first transgender woman and first Asian to be elected to lead the Board of Directors of the [[wikipedia:San Francisco Pride|San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Celebration]], and the first transgender woman as well as the first person living openly with HIV to Chair the [[wikipedia:San Francisco Human Rights Commission|San Francisco Human Rights Commission]].<ref name="UCSF Transhealth">{{Cite web |url=http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=ab-chung |title=Advisory Board: Cecilia Chung |publisher={{IfExistsLink|Center of Excellence for Transgender Health|Center of Excellence for Transgender Health|[[wikipedia:Center of Excellence for Transgender Health|Center of Excellence for Transgender Health]]}}, [[wikipedia:University of California, San Francisco|University of California, San Francisco]] |date= |accessdate=August 8, 2015 }}</ref>

Cecilia founded [[wikipedia:San Francisco Transgender Advocacy and Mentorship|San Francisco Transgender Advocacy and Mentorship|]] (SF TEAM) to provide events for the transgender community through the [[wikipedia:San Francisco LGBT Community Center|San Francisco LGBT Community Center]]. She was also one of the founders of the annual {{IfExistsLink|Trans March|Trans March|[[wikipedia:Trans March|Trans March]]}}.<ref name="TransMarch"/>

In 2013, Cecilia made headlines by making San Francisco the first city in the country to pay for [[gender reassignment surgery]] for uninsured transgender patients through her appointment to the Health Commission by Mayor Edward Lee. Through her appointment Cecilia was also able to provide training to [[wikipedia:San Francisco Department of Public Health|San Francisco Department of Public Health]] staff members around transgender issues called “Transgender 101”.<ref name="SFGate 2013-01-12"/>

Currently, Cecilia serves on the [[wikipedia:Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS|Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS]], the current chair of US PLHIV Caucus and is also the Senior Director of Strategic Projects at the {{IfExistsLink|Transgender Law Center|Transgender Law Center|[[wikipedia:Transgender Law Center|Transgender Law Center]]}}.<ref name="HRC">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/meet-cecilia-chung-joanne-keatley-two-trailblazers-in-the-fight-against-hiv |title=Meet Cecilia Chung & JoAnne Keatley: Two Trailblazers in the Fight against HIV/AIDS |first=Noël |last=Gordon |publisher=[[wikipedia:Human Rights Campaign|Human Rights Campaign]] |date=March 10, 2014 }}</ref>

== Personal life ==
In 1992, Cecilia decided to go into transition. She became estranged from her family due to their lack of understanding towards her being transgender. She also had to resign from her around-the-clock position as a sales trainer at the financial company to facilitate the process. She then relied on her court interpreter job as the sole source of income, whose employment contract was soon terminated following a judge noticing her physical changes due to transition.<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/> She eventually ended up [[wikipedia:homelessness|living on the streets]] and had to resort to [[wikipedia:sex work|sex work]] for livelihood.<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/> Being a sex worker then subjected her to sexual and physical violence.<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/> She also turned to drugs for self-medication.<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/> In the same year, she was diagnosed as [[wikipedia:HIV positive|HIV positive]].<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/>

In 1995, almost 3 years after having been homeless, Cecilia was stabbed during a sexual assault attempt and taken to the [[wikipedia:emergency room|emergency room]].<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/> Her mother, who was the emergency contact, came to the hospital for a visit and the two reconciled.<ref name="TheBody 2013-05-16"/> Since then, Cecilia completed her [[gender reassignment surgery]] in [[wikipedia:Bangkok|Bangkok]] in 1998.<ref name="SFGate 2013-01-12"/>

==Honors and awards==
* Transgender Discrimination Task Force in 1994<ref name="TransMarch"/>
* 1998: San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee<ref name="TransMarch"/>
* 2001: First Asian and first transgender woman elected to SF LGBT Pride Celebration Committee Board President<ref name="TransMarch"/>
* 2001: [[wikipedia:Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center|Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center]] Board of Directors<ref name="TransMarch"/>
* 2012: Received the [[wikipedia:Levi Strauss & Co.|Levi Strauss & Co.]] Pioneer Award.<ref name="Transgender Law Center">{{Cite web |title=Cecilia Chung joins the Transgender Law Center team as a Senior Strategist |publisher=Transgender Law Center |url=http://transgenderlawcenter.org/archives/3086 |accessdate=2015-08-08 }}</ref>
* 2013: Appointed to the Health Commission by Mayor Lee<ref name="SFGate 2013-01-12"/>

== Other ==
[[File:Trans March San Francisco 20170623-6646.jpg|thumb|right|Chung with actresses Ivory Aquino and {{IfExistsLink|Emily Skeggs|Emily Skeggs|[[wikipedia:Emily Skeggs|Emily Skeggs]]}} at {{IfExistsLink|Trans March|Trans March|[[wikipedia:Trans March#San Francisco Trans March|Trans March San Francisco]]}}, June 2017]]
[[wikipedia:Ivory Aquino|Ivory Aquino]] plays Cecilia in the miniseries about LGBT rights called ''{{IfExistsLink|When We Rise|When We Rise|[[wikipedia:When We Rise|When We Rise]]}}''.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |title=ABC's Gay Rights Mini Enlists Michael K. Williams, Sets All-Star Guest Cast |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-gay-rights-mini-enlists-887779 |last=Goldberg |first=Leslie |work=[[wikipedia:The Hollywood Reporter|The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=April 26, 2016 |accessdate=April 27, 2016 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commonscat-inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chung, Cecilia}}
{{Wikipedia}}

[[Category:People]]

Cecilia Chung - Revision history

imported>HelenDaMelon at 01:20, 10 August 2025