"We are One"
Passing of Trans Community Leader, Miss Bobbie Watts-- A Tribute this Sat Nite at Club Shine in Van Nuys, CA
5-1-09 By: Laura Gonzales
It is with my deepest and most sincere regret, flowing tears and true sorrow to inform you that my dearest of friends and my sister, Miss Bobbie Watts passed away during the night of April 30th, 2009. Bobbie was 45 years old. As far as we know Bobbie passed away peacefully in her sleep, she had no known conditions, illnesses and was at a very happy moment in her life--living as she had always dreamed-- as a wonderful and beautiful woman. Her extremely close friend, Lyndsy Carter, was with Bobbie up to just 5PM the night she passed away and said she was in wonderful spirits and out enjoying her life to the fullest.
I have so much to share about my friendship and love for Bobbie, but I will keep it short as I will share more during our tribute to her this Saturday night at Club SHINE at 11PM. We are working with her closest of friends to find out if there is anything we can do to help out her immediate family and if there will be a public memorial/funeral. All further details will be posted on TGCD.net http://www.tgcd.net
Bobbie was more than just a friend to me and to all of us. She took a fractured and divided local transgender community to heart and helped to bring it together. She supported everyone and turned away no one. Bobbie opened not only her heart, but her home to anyone and everyone who needed a place to go, to change, to meet others in our small community.
I remember an evening at her home in February of 2007 where she invited a group of us over and gave us our first feeling of community. At that time, I had few friends and support for transitioning was rarely available. I had hardly ever gone or was invited to anyone's home in our community and I was so shocked and happy that Bobbie had invited me, not only into not only her home, but her world. Bobbie so inspired me and gave me much of the inspiration and support I needed to launch TGCD group and Club Shine with Jara. Bobbie and I would share strategies on what we had to do to get people off their butt and out of the closet, to rid our community of the prevalent apathy intertwined within it, what we could do to get transgender people to respect themselves and get the outside world to respect us and find ways to slow or stop the growing "working girl" aspect of our community.
Bobbie knew how to mix politics with pleasure and she bowed to no one. She called it like she saw it, she lived like she meant it and she enjoyed life to its absolute fullest-- her only rule was to make sure the rest of us had a chance to go along for the ride and enjoy it all with her. I, for one, could NOT keep up with her.
No one in this world can ever be replaced as everyone brings something to the table, but Bobbie brought hope, love, compassion, caring and unconditional support to our small transgender community... she is irreplaceable and going forward without her will only make our incredible challenges ahead harder.
Today, I have lost my sister, a partner in helping to bring our community together, a friend who was always there-- no matter when I would call about and listen to whatever stupid things I had to say or bitch about. Bobbie would always just give that trademark, few seconds of silence, then a short burst of wisdom and then I would feel alright, not only about my problems, but about myself. I so love Miss Bobbie Watts and I am so going to miss her. The tears I shed as I write this are beyond heartfelt...I feel as that a part of me has just died as well. I love you Bobbie, I miss you already so much. I pray God knows all that you have done for us and this world.
In Love and Harmony,
Laura
Laura Gonzales
Administrator: TGCD.net
http://www.tgcd.net
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Comment by Jaime Melisa Roth on May 1, 2009 at 3:56pm -
My deepest condolences, Laura. I did not know her but she sounds like a beautiful spirit.
Jaime
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Comment by Juli Hendrix on July 8, 2009 at 1:38am -
Hi Laura.
Thank you so much for the beautiful Eulogy. It brought tears to my eyes.
Though I moved up North, Bobbie and I chatted frequently, several times for
three-plus-hour sessions. Yeah, she called 'em like she saw 'em, never one
to mince words. Funny, I was far more informed of the LA TG scene through
our chats than when I talked with her in SoCal. She had some limits to
what she'd say in mixed company in a public setting, but when we chatted
one-on-one, nothing was sacred: it was invigorating and sometimes
intoxicating. She had the skinny on everyone (that included you :-D). We
were going to get into it (another marathon chat session) again, played
chat tag, then boom, I got the terrible news.
If I show up to Shine and start crying, you'll know why (here I go again).
***HUGS***,
Juli
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Comment by Gina James on November 14, 2009 at 4:24pm -
I did not know Bobbie either,Laura,but you paint a lovley picture of her.My thoughts are with you.
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