Trans Pioneer Dainna Cicotello Has Passed Away

One of the joys of my visit to Denver for the 2015 Creating Change Conference and a few months later at Fantasia Fair was spending some quality time with Dainna Cicotello and her daughter Laurie.

She celebrated her milestone 70th birthday back in September, but  I was shocked and saddened to hear from Laurie that Dainna was seriously ill to the point that she was being put in hospic care.

I was just informed that Dainna passed away this afternoon at the Denver Hospice.

Dainna served our country in the US Navy for over a decade, transitioned in 1985 and served our community and the people in the Denver area in terms of doing panels, trainings and consulting work.   She also taught those classes at several trans themed conferences such as ICTLEP (International Conference of Transgender Law and Employment Policy) IFGE (International Foundations for Gender Education) , Colorado Gold Rush, Southern Comfort, the Texas T Party and Fantasia Fair

She's also done radio and television interviews as part of that education effort

Dainna was also part of the working group in the early 90's that sought to create a modern definition for transgender that would satisfy the trans stakeholder constituent groups at the time

Here's a 2011 TransFM interview Ethan St Pierre did with Dainna.

I het her during the 1999 Southern Comfort conference, and met Laurie a year later at the IFGE one being held in Washington DC.  She was one of my activist mentors I have much love and respect for, and one of the people her work made a better world for was me.

She is going to be missed by me, Laurie, our community  and all the people who loved her, and as soon as I get the word of a memorial service or other arrangements, I'll pass it on.

Rest in power and peace Dainna