Southern California female and male Transgenders and their families and friends have slated a full schedule of political and festive events this weekend in Hollywood and West Hollywood.

After the West Hollywood Transgender Task Force hosts a Friday evening barbecue from 8-10 pm in West Hollywood's Plummer Park, they will join the City of West Hollywood 6th annual Walk Against Hate .

This year's walk will begin with a candlelight vigil in West Hollywood Park @ 10 pm , and will honor Jeffery Owens, who was killed in a vicious hate crime attack last Thursday in Riverside, California.

Marchers will distribute the City's "Hate & Bias Crime Safety Tip Cards" and "Hate-Free City" pilot program information.

The word 'bias' will have an ironic ring for transgenders this year as they march amongst West Hollywood officials and Sheriff Deputies, as well as representatives of the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual communities. Many "trannys" have complained that the City has been biased against them in law enforcement, social services and employment and in the four-month closure of the transgender community's only night spot in West Hollywood, Club 7969, which, for further irony, is scheduled to re-open this same Friday night.

Some of these political issues will be addressed at the 3rd Annual Transgender Unity Festival the next day at Hollywood's Village, just off Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland Ave, considered the heart of the trans community of Hollywood and West Hollywood.

State Senator Sheila Keuhl will give a keynote address at 10:30 am, followed by a two hour community panel on transgender issues.

The political discussions will be complimented by an all day D-J, free food and non-alcoholic beverages, other workshops for both females-to male and males-to-females, merchant and community service organization booths, and an evening entertainment and community awards show.

Organizers expect this year's Trans Unity festival will attract a large representation of the growing, multi-ethnic Southern California transgender and cross-dressing community, estimated to be one of the world's largest, as a prideful overture to the Christopher Street West festival the following weekend in West Hollywood. This event, like other Lesbian, Gay, Trans & Bi pride events world-wide in June, commerates the 1969 queer uprising in New York City, which was led by transgenders.

For further information on the free Trans Unity event:

For information about vendor space, for general questions or to volunteer -

please contact Alex at alextsuname@hotmail.com.

If you are a member of the media, please contact Nick Adams at nixter77@aol.com.