Vigil For Ashanti Carmon Tonight

For those of you in the DMV area, a vigil has been scheduled tonight for our sister Ashanti Carmon, who was killed in the early morning hours of March 30.

Here's the press release for it:

April 2, 2019, Washington, DC

The Transgender community condemns the murder of Ashanti Carmon, a 27-year old transgender woman who was brutally shot multiple times to death in the 5000 block of Jost Street in the town of Fairmount Heights, MD on the morning of Saturday March 30   

The Transgender community and other local LGBTQ organizations joins the Carmon family and friends in mourning this senseless loss.  Her murder reminds us all of how often the transgender community is targeted for violence in our society.   Sadly, violence against transgender people has become far too common in many cities. 

While this murder was just across the Eastern Avenue line and happened in Maryland, Ashanti is well known and loved in the DC area by many.  In looking back on murders it brings us to the shooting death on Eastern Avenue N.E. of Lashai McClean age 23 who was killed in July of 2011.   While this murder may or may not be characterized as a hate crime by police at this time, it is important that each of us works to eradicate transphobia on a personal and societal level.       

There will be a Press Conference prior to the vigil, beginning at 6:30 PM EDT. The vigil will take place on April 02, 2019 at 6:30 pm in the 5000 block of Jost Street near the site of the attack. The LGBTQ community encourages everyone to participate and show solidarity against hatred and violence.  Also, Funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced once released.  

Hope you can attend if you are able to do so.

Vigil For Carla Tomorrow

Well TransGriot readers, didn't expect to be back in Dallas this soon. 

I'm back in town to speak at a vigil for Carla Pavon, our sister we just lost way too soon on Wednesday.   

It's being held in the Interfaith peace Chapel on the Cathedral of Hope campus at 5910 Cedar Springs Rd on Sunday starting at 2:30 PM.

Hope we get a nice turnout for it, and see you there . . 

Keyonna Blakeney Vigil On Friday

I have been advised by Ruby Corado and Lourdes Hunter there will be a vigil held for our departed sis Keyonna Blakeney on Friday in Rockville, MD.

The same issues we dealt with in Houston last week in terms of misgendering, deadnaming and disrespectful reporting from local media outlets also played out in DC, and the local trans community is not happy about what they see as blatant disrespect.

The vigil will take place of the Montgomery County Council Building g  in Rockville, MD starting at 6 PM.EDT   The address is 100 Maryland Ave in the city of Rockville, and hope that people will come to either or both events

Houston Candelight Vigil For Britney and Crystal April 2

As many of you are aware, a young lesbian couple, Britney Cosby and Crystal Jackson were murdered in my hometown earlier this month by Britney's father.   Both were 24 years old and were laid to rest in separate services

There have been candlelight memorial vigils planned across the state in Austin, Corpus Christi and Dallas.
Equality Texas, the Student Feminist Organization at UH , Texas Freedom Network Student Chapter at UH, Global at UH, the UH LGBT Resource Center, and the UH Women's Resource Center
have teamed up to sponsor Houston's candlelight vigil.

It will be held on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30 PM in the AD Bruce Religion Center at the University of Houston main campus.  

The list of speakers is still being finalized at this time but I can reveal at this moment that I'm one of the people who has been extended an invitation to do so along with Augie Augustine. 

I will keep you peeps updated and post the finalized details for the event as I discover them and as it gets closer to the April 2 vigil date.

But what I do hope is that you'll join us at AD Bruce that evening.

My Remarks To The Cleveland TBLG Community Rally

There is a vigil and community meeting taking place in Cleveland as I post this and I was asked to submit some remarks to be read at it.

Here they are.

***  

To my Cleveland trans family, allies, family and friends of our fallen transsisters, and our supporters.

I wish I could be there at this moment to give you a comforting hug, help dry your tears, and stand in solidarity with you.  But my words will have to be an inadequate substitute for my physical presence at this time.

On behalf of myself, the trans community of Texas, the national and international trans community, we wish to express our deepest condolences for the loss of two of our Cleveland sisters. We offer our prayers and express our hopes that the perpetrators of these foul deeds will be caught and justice in these cases will be swift, fair and expeditiously served.

Once again as you gather in Cleveland to mourn the senseless loss of two of our trans sisters, you do so in the wake of media misgendering and disrespect robbing one of them of the dignity and the personhood they fought so hard to establish in their lives.

The deceased deserved better. So do the transpeople who are in the area struggling to live their day to day lives. And once again one of our two departed sisters lives was snuffed out before she had a chance to fully live it.

When will this carnage stop? How many more trans lives have to be lost to anti-trans violence before the Cleveland community says enough and shows through deeds and words that the lives of ALL its citizens are valued?

If there is anything that needs to happen in the wake of these senseless deaths, it is that the time has come to embrace the Cleveland trans community and ensure they become loved and valued members of the community, not shunned and disrespected afterthoughts.

May the upcoming New Year see this happen for my transfamily in Cleveland and beyond its city limits.

Sincerely,
Your sister in the struggle
Monica Roberts
The TransGriot

Stacey Blahnik Lee 3rd Anniversary Candlelight Vigil Tonight

Today marks the third anniversary of the death of Stacey Blahnik Lee.  Her boyfriend Malik Moorer found her strangled to death when he returned to the apartment they shared..

The case is still open, the Philadelphia Police Department is still trying to solve it and the perpetrator of this heinous deed has unfortunately yet to be brought to justice.

For people who may know something about this case, please call the Philadelphia PD and tell them whatever information you are aware of so the person who did this can rot in jail and all the people who loved Stacey inside and outside the trans community can have some closure.  .


Later tonight a memorial candlelight vigil being organized by Moorer will be held at the William Way LGBT Community Center from 7-8:30 PM EDT.

He's asked for people to come early, and for those who wish to speak at tonight's vigil to get in contact with him.

Moorer also put together this YouTube video expressing his thoughts during this difficult time.




The William Way Center is located at 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA. 19107.   Hope you peeps who are in the Philadelphia metro area and have the ability to attend this event will do so and envelop Malik and Stacey's family and friends in the love they'll need to get through this day.  . 

Philly Diamond Williams Vigil Remarks-Gloria Casarez

TransGriot Note: I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Gloria Casarez during the LGBT Media Convening in Philadelphia back in February.  We had a nice conversation about more than a few issues, including the Nizah Morris case.   Gloria is the director for the Office of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia, and she was at LOVE Park last night to give her remarks at the vigil for Diamond Williams.

DIAMOND VIGIL / RALLY REMARKS– JULY 23, 2013

I don’t want to be here today.

Less than a year ago at our LGBT community center, we gathered for Kyra Kruz – who was murdered.
Her murderer is still out there.

Two years before Kyra, we gathered right here at Love Park for Stacey Blahnik – who was murdered.
Her murderer is still out there.

And, almost 11 years ago, we gathered for Nizah Morris – who was murdered.
Her murderer is still out there.

Today, we’ve gathered for Diamond – who was brutally murdered over the weekend. The only consolation in Diamond’s death is that HER murderer has been captured. Her murder will see justice and I pledge that we will keep attention on Diamond’s brutal murder. We’ll keep attention on this case – for Diamond, Kyra, Stacey, Nizah, and all of us who have experienced violence because of who we are.

We will fight so that the coward who killed her pays for his crime. We will fight so that her killer can’t use “she tricked me” as a defense. We will fight, because Diamond, Kyra, Stacey, and Nizah can’t fight.
But, as we fight, there are witnesses who said nothing. Be mindful of this as much as you are mindful of your own safety. And in every one of these cases I believe there are witnesses who have said nothing. I don’t want to be here – for another murder.

Another act of violence. Another loss. Another death misreported by the press. Another “man in women’s clothing” piece from our local media. To anyone covering these stories, we can’t train you. You’re a journalist and we expect you to get the story right. The National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association and GLAAD have style guides for media that offer instruction on how to refer to LGBT people in reporting. USE it! If the police give you inaccurate or confusing information about a person, ASK clarifying questions! That’s what journalists are supposed to do and that’s what we need you to do.

When people are misidentified in the press, its hurtful. Hurtful to the people who knew and loved them and it dishonors their life. It also hinders investigations at the earliest point and contributes to these cases being unsolved. When initial news reports describe a victim as “a man in women’s clothing” to describe a transgender woman, it impacts witness reports. When Kyra was described in such a way it was stunning. Anyone who knew Kyra would describe her as a woman and any witness who may have seen her the night she was murdered, wouldn’t have “read” her as a “man in women’s clothing.”

We need to respect people in life and especially in death and that very much extends to a person’s gender identity and expression.

We’ve done a lot of work here in Philadelphia on LGBT issues and I’m proud to be a part of these positive changes in law, policy, and protections – but – we still have work to do. And by WE, I mean all of us.

No number of laws, policies and protections are going to keep you safe in a dangerous situation. We can’t be lulled in to a false sense of security. Especially when we’re in the Gayborhood, its easier for some of us to be “US”, but its important to note that none of these crimes took place in the gayborhood – these crimes took place in north Philly, northeast, southwest, and Center City.

Today, we gather for Diamond and we know that her murderer will see justice. All of us will see to that. And, we’ll follow this case on through to the end. For Diamond. For Kyra. For Stacey. For Nizah. For you and for me – we will not rest. JUSTICE FOR DIAMOND

Thanks Nefertiti!

Now this is what we're looking for when we see a media news report about a trans person, especially in the wake of their deaths.

Remember this one I wrote yesterday expressing my concerns about the weekend broadcast about Diamond's death?    Well, after people in the trans community reached out to NBC10 and Nefertiti, this is her report concerning the vigil.

 

TransGriot Diamond Williams Philly Vigil Statement

The Speakout and Vigil in Philadelphia's LOVE Park for Diamond Williams is happening as I post this, and I was asked by Sade Ali last night to compose a statement she would read for me at this event. 

***

To the family of Diamond Williams, the Philadelphia trans community, our allies, friends and supporters.

I wish I could be there with you tonight instead of in Houston to give you comforting hugs, dry your tear-soaked eyes, and stand with you in your hour of great sorrow.

But what I can do is offer my words and hope they are adequate for the herculean task.

As a representative of the national trans community, I offer my deep condolences to the Williams family and the community for the loss of their loved one.

The trans community in the United States and internationally shares your loss, grieves with you at this difficult time and hopes that justice will be done at the appointed time.

As the national and international trans community offers its prayers for your loss, we also pray for the expeditious end of anti-trans violence aimed at us here in Philadelphia, the United States and the rest of the world.

We also pray that one day, trans people in Philadelphia and around the world will be able to do what was written 237 years ago in the Declaration of Independence in terms of us being able to pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

We also pray for the day that the human rights and humanity of transpeople in Philadelphia and around the world are not disposable items subject to debate by a tyranny of the majority, but an established fact.

God bless you all,
Your sister in the trans human rights struggle,
Monica Roberts

The TransGriot

Speak Out and Vigil For Diamond Williams In Philly Tomorrow

For my trans family in Philadelphia and our allies, been advised by Nika Jewell, one of my Philly area TransGriot readers there will be a Speak Out and Vigil for Diamond Williams, the girl like us who was horribly murdered in the Strawberry Mansion section of the city by Charles Sargent.

There will be representatives from GALAEI’s TIP (Trans-health Information Program) and Mazzoni Center’s Trans* Wellness Project at this speak out and vigil designed to honor the name and life of our trans sister who was lost to violence, and issue a call for justice and respect.

Violence against trans women is unfortunately a harsh reality in the city of Brotherly Love as evidenced by the murders of Stacey Blahnik Lee and Kyra Cordova.

This speak out and vigil event is an opportunity for Philadelphia community members to gather, speak and organize against the violence that continues to claim and threaten the lives of transgender women in Philadelphia.

People who will be speaking at this vigil are:
Aamina Morrison– TIP Co-Director
Samantha Jo Dato – Trans* Wellness Project
Christian Axavier Lovehall – Philly Trans* March
Sade Ali –Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, Morris Home Founder
Gloria Casarez - Director of LGBT Affairs, Mayor's Office

The event will take place at LOVE Park, 1599 John F. Kennedy Blvd in Philadelphia, PA from 5:30-6:30 PM EDT.  Hope you can attend it and pay your respects to the name and memory of Diamond Williams.

Brandy Martell Memorial Vigil Held In Oakland

As I mentioned in one of my posts, a memorial candlelight vigil was held in Oakland to mark the one year anniversary of the date that Brandy Martell was killed.   The 37 year old Martell was fatally shot while sitting in her car through the door an window of it at the corner of 13th and Franklin Streets.

Martell was a peer advocate for TransVision, a Fremont, CA based organization for trans women. Martell worked there from February 2007 to November 2011, offering health information and outreach to other transgender women.

Last night Brandy's friends and colleagues gathered at that location to remember her and also point out the perpetrator of this crime has yet to be brought to justice.  They lit candle and movingly spoke of her TransVision work  

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan was also there urging folks with information on this case to come forward and help OPD solve the crime.

Anyone with information on Brandy Martell’s murder can send the Oakland Police Department tips anonymously by texting TIP OAKLANDPD to 888777, calling the toll-free hotline at (855) 847-7247, or by calling (510) 535-4867.

“If you saw something, say something,” said Police Chief Howard Jordan at the vigil. “We know there were a lot of people out there that night who saw what happened. Don’t let Brandy’s death go in vain.”

Don't let the wastes of DNA who committed that crime go free.   If they killed Brandy so callously, they could possibly kill someone else you're acquainted with, too.

They need to be rotting in jail.  Let's do what we can to ensure the crime gets solved and Brandy can rest in peace.

Brandy Martell Candlelight Vigil Tonight

A reminder for those of you in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area of the candlelight vigil being held tonight to commemorate the one year anniversary of Brandy Martell's April 29 death.  

It will take place at the Franklin and 13th St. corner in Downtown Oakland where she was fatally shot from 7-8:30 PM PDT.   If you need further information about it you can e-mail her at twoods@tri-city health.org or call her at 510-456-3521

Hope there is a large turnout for this memorial vigil.  I also hope that the waste of DNA who killed her will soon be brought to justice to pay for his crime.

Deoni Jones Vigil Today In DC

For those of you in the DC metro area, if you're wondering whether the funeral service has happened for Deoni Jones, the DC Trans Coalition issued an invitation Monday to join “community members, family, and friends at the bus stop at East Capitol and Sycamore Streets NE at 5:30 PM EST Tuesday, February 7, for a candlelight vigil in memory of Deoni Jones.

Her funeral service is planned for Saturday. According to Ashleys Mortuary Services and Latney Funeral Home:

JaParker Deoni Jones will lie en-state at the: Holy Christian Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday February 11th, 2012. Viewing time begins at 12:30 pm, with Funeral Services to follow beginning at 2:00 pm.

We ask that all visitors and friends please arrive early as early as 12:00 noon in order to receive seating and parking. We expect a very large crowd and Dignitaries from the city council, Metropolitan Police Department and other organizations. Interment will be private.