I apologize to those who have complained about my lack of lj-cut's. Occasionally, I feel the abuse to ya'll's friends pages warranted. This is one of those times. Other times, I'm just a rude idiot. This is not one of those times. Please forgive me.
Many or most of you probably already know this, but tomorrow, November
20, is the National (in the U.S.) Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day
chosen in remembrance of a transwoman who was killed (Rita Hester) in
order for us all to remember those throughout the year who have been
killed or died because of their gender identity or presentation.
Every year, I post the list of that year's dead, that their names might
be known, where possible, and they might be remembered, even if for
just one day. The Greco-Romans believed that immortality was to be found
in the memory of those still living and this was why they considered a
braggart nature a heroic virtue. Let us thus remember these victims,
who have historically suffered great mutilations in the course of their
murder, as if their killers were trying to erase them from the
photograph of existence.
All the victims from all years past may be found on
www.rememberingourdead.com.
After the list of the dead follows the details of the San Jose Day of
Remembbrance which I will be attending. If you live in the area of
Silicon Valley, please come. If not, I beg of you to find out where and
when the nearest remembrance is. Many of the dead were alone when they
died, and many believed they would always be alone even while they
lived. Let not their loneliness continue into the chill after death. Let
them be warmed by the fire of our tears, our thoughts, and our prayers.
Whichever of the alphabet soup you are (LGBTQQIA -- Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer, Intersex, or Ally -- the last
meaning "we invite straight, cisgendered (non-trans) folk too"), please do
this for them.
Lacking a specific formula as yet, I merely call upon the mup gods to
look, read, and remember:
Hermaphroditus, look at the names of the dead.
Ardhanarisvara, read the names of the dead.
Melek Ta'us, remember the names of the dead.
Eris, look at the names of the dead.
Antinous, read the names of the dead.
Hoor-paar-kraat, remember the names of the dead.
Tlazolteotl, look at the names of the dead.
Azathoth, look at the names of the dead.
Pomba-Gira, read the names of the dead.
Inanna, remember the names of the dead.
List of murdered trans people from Nov. 2006 to Nov. 2007.
For more info see:
www.rememberingourd ead.org/day
============ ========= ========= ========= ==
Nakia Ladelle Baker
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Age: 31 yrs. old
Cause of Death: trauma to the head
Date of Death: January 7, 2007
Hasan Sabeh
Location: Baghdad, Iraq
Age: 34 yrs. old
Cause of death: Stripped and shot dead by an Islamist death squad
Date of death: January 11, 2007
Keittirat Longnawa
Location: Rassada, Thailand
Age: ?
Cause of Death: Beaten by 9 Youths and then they slit her throat
Date of Death: January 31, 2007
Tatiana (Aldomiro Gomes)
Location: Trani, Italy
Age: 57
Cause of Death: Her skull was bashed in, in the middle of the street
and
then
Her head was slammed in a car door.
Date of Death: February 18, 2007
Moira Donaire
Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
Age: 30 yrs. Old
Cause of Death: Stabbed 5 times by a street vendor
Date of Death: March 5, 2007
Michelle Carrasco "Chela"
Location: Santiago, Chile
Age: 54 Yrs. Old
Cause of Death: She was found in a pit with her face completely
disfigured.
Date of Death: March 16, 2007
Ruby Rodriguez
Location: San Francisco, California
Age: 27 Yrs. Old
Cause of Death: She had been strangled and was found naked in the
street.
Date of Death: March 16, 2007
Erica Keel
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Age: 21 Yrs. Old
Cause of Death: A car repeatedly struck her
Date of Death: March 23, 2007
Bret T. Turner
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
Age: 48 Yrs. Old
Cause of Death: Multiple stab wounds
Date of Death: April 2, 2007
Manuela Di Cesare
Location: Pescara, Italy
Age: 37
Cause of Death: Head smashed by unknown object.
Date of Death: April 21, 2007
Unidentified Male Clad in Female Attire
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Age: ?
Cause of Death: Gunshot wounds to the chest and lower back
Date of Death: July 7, 2007
Victoria Arellano
Location: San Pedro, California
Age: ?
Cause of Death: She was denied necessary medications to treat
HIV-related side effects.
Date of Death: July 20, 2007
Oscar Mosqueda
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Age: ?
Cause of Death: Shot to death
Date of Death: July 29, 2007
Stefania (no found second name)
Location: Roma, Italy
Age: 35
Cause of Death: Violently beaten with skull bashed in.
Date of Death: August 1, 2007
Maribelle Reyes
Location: Houston, Texas
Age: ?
Cause of Death: AIDS; Reyes was turned away from several treatment
centers due to her transgender status.
Date of Death: August 30, 2007
DATE:
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
TIME:
7:30pm
LOCATION:
The DeFrank Center Ballroom
938 The Alameda San Jose CA
The evening will focus on highlighting the substantial progress made in
understanding and protecting transgender people.
Speaking at the event will be Aejaie Sellers, Executive Director of the
Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, Danielle Castro of
TransPowerment, Shelly Prevost, Director of the powerful film "Trained in the way of
men", Reverend Sky Anderson of the San Jose Metropolitan Community
Church and Sylvia Guerrero, The mother of Gwen Araujo.
The evening will conclude with a reading of names for those who lost
their lives due to hate crimes this past year.
For more details please go to: www.reelfreedom.com/DOR_info_2007.htm
