ABOUT GWEN
Gwendolyn Ann Smith has been an advocate for the transgender community for most of her adult life, with a focus on the trans community on the internet, as well as in honoring those we have lost due to anti-transgender violence.
In 1992, she lobbied America Online, successfully persuading the company to revise its policies and allow for discussions on gender issues on its service. This move paved the way for the creation of the first public forum dedicated to the transgender community on a major online platform, the Transgender Community Forum. This forum allowed thousands of transgender people worldwide to connect on a daily basis.
As the World Wide Web gained prominence, Smith transitioned into web design, creating websites for various organizations and individuals, including the Southern Comfort Conference, photographer Loren Cameron, and many others. Her pioneering efforts in the early transgender web have left a lasting impact. She remains involved in Internet-related projects.
Smith’s most notable work is the Remembering Our Dead project, established in 1998. This project meticulously chronicled the scourge of anti-transgender murders, serving as a powerful resource for raising awareness and creating action. Thanks to this project, Smith co-founded the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an event that has gained widespread recognition. and is now honored across the United States and internationally.
In 2004, Smith was recognized for her contributions with the “Vagina Warrior” award at the VDAY LA event in Los Angeles, California. She later received the Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award from Fantasia Faire in Provincetown, Massachusetts in 2017.
Gwendolyn Ann Smith
“Thank you for stopping by my website, and please feel free to reach out if I can assist you. All respectful inquiries are welcome.”
—Gwen Smith
Gwen is also a prolific writer. Her column, “Transmissions,” has been published biweekly since 2000 in the Bay Area Reporter in San Francisco, California. Her essay, “We’re all somebody’s freak,” included in the anthology Gender Outlaws, edited by S. Bear Bergman and Kate Bornstein, and later republished in The Norton Reader, Fourteenth Edition.
In July of 2017, a biography written by Sophia Cecelia Leveque, titled Trans / Active: A Biography of Gwendolyn Ann Smith, was released.
Gwen has appeared in print quite a number of times over the years. Here is a selection of articles about her and her work.
Founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith on the 20th Anniversary of Transgender Day of Remembrance (Vogue Magazine)
Gwendolyn Ann Smith: Activist Behind Transgender Day of Remembrance (Times Now News)
Meet the Mother of The Gazebo, One of the Internet’s First Trans Safe Spaces (Them)
Gwendolyn Ann Smith Dreams of a World Where Memorials Are No Longer Necessary (Them)
OutFront: 'We need to keep fighting,' Transgender Day of Remembrance founder pleads (NBC OutFront)
TRANSBRATIONS: featuring writer Gwendolyn Ann Smith, founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance TDoR. (TRANSBRATIONS)
ILLUSTRATED WOMEN IN HISTORY: Gwendolyn Ann Smith (ILLUSTRATED WOMEN IN HISTORY)
#SpeakingOfTransgender with Gwendolyn Ann Smith (#SpeakingOfTransgender)
Hero of the Month: Gwendolyn Ann Smith (Decriminalize Sex Work)
SHE SPEAKS!
For over three decades, Gwen Smith has been a leading speaker on transgender issues, speaking at several college campuses and other organizations. Her expertise is in speaking on anti-transgender violence and murder, particularly regarding her work with Remembering Our Dead and the Transgender Day of Remembrance. She can also offer insights into the transgender internet from a historical and insider perspective.
Gwen Smith is always open to providing customized presentations tailored to your event, including Q&A sessions and informal activities related to transgender issues.
Please note that Gwen Smith is frequently booked early for events related to the Transgender Day of Remembrance. To secure her services, please make your inquiry promptly. She is also willing to speak virtually, or provide a prerecorded or written presentation as necessary.
Regarding COVID-19 safety, Gwen Smith is fully vaccinated and is committed to adhering to all local policies, including masking requirements, to ensure the well-being of attendees.
It is important to acknowledge that several states currently have laws that criminalize transgender individuals. Given the potential risks associated with presenting in such environments, Gwen Smith may decline to participate in events in areas with such legislation. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Inquiries regarding Gwen Smith’s availability and services can be made via email. Please refer to the contact information below for further details.
Gwen is also a part of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive speaker’s bureau.
Past speaking engagements include:
2024
Presenter, transgender legal needs in Texas, Collin County Democratic Party (CCDP).
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Palm Springs.
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, The Theater Offensive — Boston.
2023
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Vallejo (Solano Serenity Center).
2022
Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, California Democratic Party, (CADEMS).
2021
Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, PG&E Pride Network, California.
2020
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Solano (Solano Pride Center).
2019
Speaker, transgender internet history, Napa Valley College.
2017
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Palm Springs.
Keynote Speaker & Recipient of Virginia Prince Transgender Pioneer Award, Fantasia Fair.
2016
Speaker, Trans H4CK virtual conference and hackathon.
2013
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Russian River Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Guerneville.
2011
Presenter, The White House, Washington, DC.
2010
Speaker, Book Launch for Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, Modern Times Bookstore, San Francisco.
2004
Speaker & Mistress of Ceremonies, Day of Remembrance, San Francisco.
Keynote Speaker, Day of Remembrance, University of California, San Francisco.
Keynote Speaker, Transgender Awareness Day, City College San Francisco.
Speaker, San Francisco Pride, San Francisco.
Panelist, The Ethics of Reporting on Transgender Youth, NLGJA Conference, New York.
Presenter, Anti-Transgender Violence and Murder, University of Iowa.
Cast Member, “Another Gwen,” VDAY, Los Angeles.
Presenter, Anti-Transgender Violence and Murder, University of Iowa.
2003
Speaker & Mistress of Ceremonies, Day of Remembrance, San Francisco.
Presenter, Anti-Transgender Violence and Murder, Ohio State University.
Presenter, Anti-Transgender Violence and Murder, University of Michigan.
Presenter, Anti-Transgender Violence and Murder, University of California, Berkeley.
Speaker, Gwen Araujo anniversary memorial, Newark.
Panelist, Transgender, Stanford University.
2002
Speaker & Mistress of Ceremonies, Day of Remembrance, San Francisco.
2001
Speaker, F. C. Martinez, Jr. memorial, San Francisco.
Speaker, Christopher Tarvelli fundraising event, San Francisco.
Panelist, “Gender and Genre,” the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy.
2000
Speaker & Mistress of Ceremonies, Day of Remembrance, San Francisco.
Speaker, Contemporary Forums Psychiatric Nursing Convention, Millbrae.
Panelist, Post-Operative Transsexuals, San Francisco.
1999
Speaker & Mistress of Ceremonies, Day of Remembrance, San Francisco.
Speaker, Supporting transsexual teacher, Sacramento.
Speaker, History of Sexuality: An Introduction, Vol. I, New College of California.
Panelist, FTM-MTF Tensions and Alliances, Forward Motion Conference, Burbank.
Keynote Speaker, Southern Comfort Conference, Atlanta.
Speaker, Benefit for the GLBT Historical Society, San Francisco.
Speaker, Vigil to remember our dead and stand up to the violence, San Francisco.
