Charmaine Eccles

WASHINGTON, DC

Charmaine Eccles is an African American Transwoman native Washingtonian, born in 1982. Ms. Eccles is a local advocate in DC. She advocates for trans employment, safety and wellness. She currently works for Casa Ruby as the Director of Programs, her prior position there was the executive assistant to Ruby Corado. Before Casa Ruby, she was employed with the Office of Unified Communications as a 911 Telecommunications Transcriptionist. Also, while employed at the Office of Unified Communications, she led in the project developing the District of Columbia’s 311 Training Program. She has worked closely with the Office of LGBTQ Affairs by assisting in affording Transwomen like herself the opportunity to obtain gainful employment. In 2018 she joined the “Hate Bias Task Force” with the US Attorney’s Office of the District of Columbia. She currently leads DC’s Transgender Day of Remembrance and was passed the torch from the founder of DC’s TDOR, “The Advocate” Earline Budd. In December of 2018 she received the “Spirit Award” at the Solutions Conference.

Charmaine has been advocating for the trans community for over 10 years, well before she transitioned herself in September of 2015. In the later part of 2015 and the earlier part of 2016, Charmaine had been attacked numerous times and she is a survivor of gun violence. Ever since then, her goal is to make sure that each Transwoman in the District of Columbia who encounters violence, sees that justice is served. She is a motivational speaker and life coach to many young LGBT youth. She has volunteered with May Is All About Trans, HIPS, Heart to Hands and is a part of the LGBTQ Working Group for the District of Columbia. She has been appointed to the Center for Black Equity Trans Task Force as the National Co-Chairperson. She’s also a member of the Legendary House of Comme Des Garçon, a part of the ballroom community. Charmaine believes that everyone has the capability of manifesting their dreams and it a reality.