Memory of Minister Bobbie Jean Baker

It saddens me that this is my second memorial print (and there could be many more I’m sure) for a trans* elder that has passed since this round of the QAP began. Minister Baker was killed in a car accident on New Years Eve 2014. I did not know Min. Baker very well, but the few occasions where I shared spaces with her were filled with joy, laughter, and love. Min. BobbieJean led the service for the first Transgender Day of Remembrance event I attended after moving to the Bay area in 2010. I was captivated by her beautiful voice and the presence she brought to the room. During Pride month the following summer, we had a brief yet playful conversation at the Trans* March afterparty that was hosted by TGI Justice Project. She had quite an impact on the lives of many queer youth and was a pinnacle in a variety of communities that will greatly miss her care, gentle guidance, and compassion. She served in a number of different positions as a religious leader and as a community leader: as the TransSaints Western Regional Minister of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries; Lay Minister at Transcending Transgender Ministries at City of Refuge; lead singer of the all transgender member Transcendence Gospel Choir (a group she was part of for over a decade); and a substance abuse and transgender health counselor at San Francisco's Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center. She was also long time advocate of TGI Justice Project and the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples Movement/FICPM.