[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 43 (Friday, March 14, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  A TRIBUTE TO DRIAN JUAREZ--28TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WOMAN OF THE 
                                  YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 14, 2014

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History 
Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and 
sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to 
outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional 
District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Drian Juarez of 
Hollywood.
   Born in Juarez, Mexico and raised by her grandmother, a five-year-
old Ms. Juarez joined her mother in the United States after her 
grandmother's passing.
   Ms. Juarez's artistic talents were noticed early on by many of her 
teachers. She entered a Los Angeles Times art contest, won, and was 
awarded with art lessons throughout middle school. With these art 
lessons, Ms. Juarez was able to build a portfolio and gain entry into 
the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Upon graduation, she 
was accepted to Otis College of Art and Design, where she attained a 
Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art.
   In 2005, Ms. Juarez was shot in the face at a Halloween event and 
lost sight in her right eye. After this tragic incident, Ms. Juarez 
decided to make a change in her life. For the first time, she connected 
with Los Angeles transgender support groups and increased her 
involvement in local events and activism. She became a member of the 
West Hollywood Transgender Task Force, which is now known as the West 
Hollywood Transgender Advisory Board, and also became a member of the 
Transgender Service Provider Network. In 2009, Ms. Juarez was invited 
to become a member of the Transgender Law Center's Transgender 
Leadership Council and the Transgender Economic Development Initiative.
   For the past 6 years, Ms. Juarez has served as Program Manager of 
the Transgender Economic Empowerment Project (TEEP) at the Legal 
Services Department of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. She has 
demonstrated remarkable entrepreneurial skills and passion for 
empowering clients who are struggling with immigration, employment, and 
race issues due to their gender identity.
   TEEP, in conjunction with Trans-Unity Pride, held its first job fair 
in 2008. Since then, TEEP has collaborated with the West Hollywood 
Chamber of Commerce on a yearly job fair. As part of this job fair, Ms. 
Juarez has provided Gender and Sexual Diversity in the Workplace 
trainings to human resources professionals and employers. Ms. Juarez 
has presented over 400 transgender cultural competency trainings to 
thousands of people, including at conferences sponsored by the 
Transgender Service Provider Network and the HIV Drug & Alcohol Task 
Force, LA Youth at Work, the City of L.A. Career Fair, Women's Resource 
& Job Fair, Trans Action/Friends Community Center, among others. In 
addition to all of her accomplishments, Ms. Juarez designed a plaque 
with an inscribed poem for the City of West Hollywood, which was 
dedicated in 2009 during the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to 
memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred and 
prejudice.
   I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of 
California's 28th Congressional District, Drian Juarez.

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