On Sunday the 19th, we will be observing the Transgender Day of Remembrance here in New Orleans. Each year Trans communities and our friends around the world gather together to remember those of the community that were killed in the name of transphobia during the previous twelve months. This year we lost 19 of our little tribe to hatred. LIST
These are only the folks we know of… many are killed but never reported. There are also the Trans folk who die by their own hand (about 35% of our folk never make their 40th birthday), and many others die slow deaths caused by prejudice through the mechanisms of illegal firings, being turned down for housing and constant harrassment. There is no list for the latter group, but we remember them just the same.
We and our friends will be meeting at the Lesbian and Gay Community Center (Decatur between Frenchmen & Elysian Fields) at 5:30 PM, and then we will proceed to St. Joan d’Arc’s statue for the reading of the names.
Please come by, join us in our sorrow and our prayers for Society to stop discriminating against Trans people.
UPDATE: was just informed of another murder-Â
April 16, 2006- Elk Grove Indiana
Krystal Heskin, 31, was found murdered in a motel room. She had been strangled and beaten on the head with a hammer. She had changed her legal name some five years earlier and had been living in her chosen gender. Her killer is Michael R. Davis, 20, whom she had known for several years. Police do not consider this a crime of hate, but of an arguement taken too far. Davis is awaiting trial.