Hello again. My name is, among other things, Chris Hughes. You may remember me from such blog posts as “A Recipe, Because Cooking is Important”. I also identify as transgender, specifically genderqueer.
Today, November 20, 2013, happens to have been our Planting Justice staff meeting. It is also the International Transgender Day of Remembrance 2013. The trans* community has been celebrating the Day of Remembrance on this date since 1998, making this the fifteenth. Every year, we gather to remember those of us who have been killed in hate crimes the previous year. One oft-quoted statistic indicates that 1 in 12 trans* people will be murdered, 1 in 8 if they are also people of color.
To commemorate this day, particularly in the light of the recent hate crime perpetrated against Sasha Fleischman (an 18-year-old agender person whose skirt was set on fire on the Oakland bus while they slept), I asked the Planting Justice staff if I could set up an altar before our meeting. I also read the names of the dead, inviting them to sit in with our staff. Pictures of the altar follow.
Very often, we don’t know about trans*phobic hate crimes, as the closet and the media combine their efforts to make us invisible. Thus, I list the names of the dead, with a prayer to the gods preceding and a prayer to the dead themselves following. Please, take a moment. Say their names. We exist.
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.
Baphomet, look at the names of the dead.
Avalokitesvara, read the names of the dead.
Faro, remember the names of the dead.
Tiresias, look at the names of the dead
PerAa Hatschepsut, read the names of the dead
Heru-Suti, remember the names of the dead.
Dionysos, look at the names of the dead
Gwydion, read the names of the dead
HariHara, remember the names of the dead.
Achilleus, look at the names of the dead
Gilfaethwy, read the names of the dead
Loki, remember the names of the dead.
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Fernanda Queiroz
Cause of death: beaten to death, (multiple blows to the head), body burned.
Location: Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Date of death: November 21st, 2012
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Yeison Ramirez Acosta (age:22)
Cause of death: multiple stab wounds to the face, chest, and abdomen
Location: Avenida Lequerica Velez Magangue, Bolivar, Colombia
Date of death: December 2012
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Dicky Othman
Cause of death: hands and legs bound, and her mouth stuffed with a piece of cloth
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date of death: December 4th, 2012
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Renato Espinosa Reyes (age:23)
Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds
Location: Toluca, Mexico
Date of death: December 5, 2012
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Gunce Hatun
Cause of death: stabbed in the chest
Location: Beylikdüzü, Istanbul,Turkey
Date of death: December 12, 2012
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Camila
Cause of death: beheaded and burned with partner in their home
Location: Novo Gama, Goiás, Brazil
Date of death: December 24, 2012
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Dalvalei José Alves Pereira (age:37)
Cause of death: beheaded and burned with trans partner in their home
Location: Novo Gama, Goiás, Brazil
Date of death: December 24, 2012
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Evon Young (age:22
Cause of death: tied up, beaten with fists and other objects, choked with a chain, had a bag taped over his head, shot, set on fire, and discarded into a dumpster.
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Date of death: December 24, 2012
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Nicole Galisteu
Cause of death: Gunshot
Location: Santa Cândida, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Date of death: January 8, 2013
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Daniel Mendoza Ricardo Macias (age:23)
Cause of death: multiple stab wounds.
Location: Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico
Date of death: January 9, 2013
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“Tiffany” Wesley Holder (age:19)
Cause of death: multiple stab wounds.
Location: Georgetown, Guyana
Date of death: January 11, 2013
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unknown woman
Cause of death: stoned, stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle.
Location: Jaboatão Guararapes, Pernambuco, Brazil
Date of death: January 24th, 2013
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Karen
Cause of death: multiple stab wounds, beheaded.
Location: Zimatlán de Alvarez, Oaxaca, Mexico.
Date of death: January 28th, 2013
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Naomi Estrada (age:19)
Cause of death: two gunshots to the head and chest
Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Date of death: Feburary 1st, 2013
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Palmira Garcia (age:37)
Cause of death: partially scalped, signs of torture, laceration to face.
Location: Las Marvales, Venezuela
Date of death: Feburary 5th, 2013
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Mônica Lewinski (age:38)
Cause of death: gunshot wound to the head
Location: Curitiba, Paraná , Brazil
Date of death: February 8th, 2013
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Joelma
Cause of death: gunshot
Location: Altos, Piauí, Brazil
Date of death: February 9th, 2013
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unidentified woman
Cause of death: seven stab wounds
Location: Gravataí, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Date of death: February 24th, 2013
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unidentified woman
Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds
Location: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date of death: February 24th, 2013
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Stephanie (age:33)
Cause of death: Beaten and strangled to death.
Location: Embu das Artes, São Paulo, Brazil
Date of death: March 3rd, 2013
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Adán Amilcar Iglesias (age 20)
Cause of death: four gunshot wounds to the head
Location: El Carmen, Honduras
Date of death: March 4, 2013
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Cemia “CeCe” Dove (age:23)
Cause of death: multiple stab wounds, tied with a rope to a block of concrete and thrown in pond.
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Date of death: March 27th, 2013
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Kelly Young
Cause of death: Gunshot
Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Date of death: April 3rd, 2013
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Ashley Sinclair
Cause of death: beaten and shot in the head.
Location: Orlando, Florida, USA
Date of death: April 11th, 2013
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Angel Francisco Martinez Gonzalez
Cause of death: beaten and shot in the head.
Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Date of death: April 11th, 2013
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Rosa Fernando Domingues (age:36)
Cause of death: stabbed to death. Knive wounds to left eye, neck, and shoulder.
Location: São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Date of death: May 11th, 2013
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unidentified woman
Cause of death: bullet to head and leg
Location: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date of death: May 11th, 2013
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Jorge Luciano Soares De Oliveira (age: 38)
Cause of death: blow to the head.
Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Date of death: May 12th, 2013
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Fábio da Conceição Machado (age: 26)
Cause of death: stoning.
Location: Mumbuca, Mateiros, Tocantins, Brazil
Date of death: May 15th, 2013
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Ronald Feitosa Souza (age:26)
Cause of death: beaten to death, severe head injuries
Location: Colniza, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Date of death: May 23rd, 2013
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Fatima Woods (age:53)
Cause of death: stabbed twice in the torso
Location: Rochester, New York
Date of death: May 30th, 2013
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Unidentified child (age: 13)
Cause of death: hanging
Location: Macaíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Date of death: June 8th, 2013
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Otávio Nascimento Valadares (age: 20)
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the head
Location: Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Date of death: June 12th, 2013
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Unidentified woman
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the head
Location: Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Date of death: June 25th, 2013
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Unknown woman
Cause of death: Found floating in a gully
Location: Houston, Texas
Date of death: July 07th, 2013
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Dora Oezer (age:24)
Cause of death: stabbed to death
Location: Kuşadası, Turkey
Date of death: July 9th, 2013
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Jock Maurice McKinney (aka Valarie)
Cause of death: a single gunshot wound to the lower body.
Location: Shreveport,Louisiana
Date of death: July 12th, 2013
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Diamond Williams (age:31)
Cause of death: dismembered, and body parts thrown in a field.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of death: July 14th, 2013
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Natália Sotero (age:20)
Cause of death: gunshots
Location of death: Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Date of death: July 17th, 2013
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Rafael da Silva Tavares (age:21)
Cause of death: six gunshots
Location of death: Baixada Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date of death: July 19th, 2013
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Dwayne Jones (age 16)
Cause of death: beaten, stabbed, shot & run over by a car.
Location: Montego Bay, Jamaica
Date of death: July 22nd, 2013
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Mylene (age:42)
Cause of death: blugeoned to death with a hammer
Location of death: Limoges, France
Date of death: July 24th, 2013
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Gaye
Cause of death: strangulation
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Date of death: July 29th, 2013
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Valeria (age:30)
Cause of death: Beaten to death with sticks
Location of death: Conceição do Lago-Açu, Maranhão, Brazil
Date of death: August 1st, 2013
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Unknown woman
Cause of death: Stoning, skull crushed.
Location of death: Téofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Date of death: August 11th, 2013
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Islan Nettles (age:21)
Cause of death: blunt force trauma
Location: Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Date of death: August 17th, 2013
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Joales dos Santos (age:22)
Cause of death: gunshot at close range to left breast.
Location of death: Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil
Date of death: August 18, 2013
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Domonique Newburn (age:31)
Cause of death: multiple stab wounds.
Location: Fontana, California, USA
Date of death: August 20th, 2013
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Wagner Paula Rodrigues (age:42)
Cause of death: Stoning
Location of death: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date of death: August 24th, 2013
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Unidentified woman
Cause of death: Severe head injuries, body thrown under a truck
Location: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Date of death: August 28, 2013
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Artegus Konyale Madden (age:37)
Cause of death: Gunshot wound to the neck
Location: Savannah, Texas
Date of death: September 1st, 2013
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Terry Golston
Cause of death: Gunshot
Location: Shreveport,Louisiana
Date of death: September 6, 2013
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Melony Smith (age:28)
Cause of death: stabbed twice in the torso
Location: Baldwin Park, California
Date of death: September 9th, 2013
“Maiara” Castro Da Silva (age:23)
Cause of death: unknown, body dumped, in advanced state of decomposition
Location: Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil
Date of death: September 9th, 2013
———————————————————————————- Unknown woman
Cause of death: gunshot
Location: Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
Date of death: September 11th, 2013
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Hilary Molina Mendiola
Cause of death: thrown naked from a bridge
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Date of death: September 22nd, 2013
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Unidentified woman
Cause of death: 4 gunshot wounds
Location: Santa Rita, Paraíba, Brazil
Date of death: September 24th, 2013
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Eyricka Morgan (age:26)
Cause of death: stabbing
Location: New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States.
Date of death: September 24th, 2013
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Brunete Nascimento Chagas (age:22)
Cause of death:head trauma, beaten to death with sticks
Location: Marituba, Pará, Brazil
Date of death: October 06th, 2013
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Natascha (age:27)
Cause of death: Gun shot wound
Location: Várzea Grande, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Date of death: October 10th, 2013
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S. Athiswaran (age:31)
Cause of death: Multiple stab wounds, hands and legs were tied with a string, face was also covered with plastic
Location: Bagan Ajam, Penang, Malaysia
Date of death: October 13, 2013
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Unknown woman
Cause of death: strangled, body dumped in a pasture
Location: Sertanópolis, Paraná, Brazil
Date of death: October 14th, 2013
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Unknown woman
Cause of death: stabbed in the neck
Location: Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
Date of death: October 18th, 2013
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Unknown woman
Cause of death: Gunshot wound
Location: Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Date of death: October 23rd, 2013
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Amari White
Cause of death: multiple gunshot wounds
Location: Richmond, Virginia, USA
Date of death: November 9th, 2013
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Honored and fabulous dead,
we breathe you,
we eat you,
we drink you,
in you, we live,
we move,
we have our being
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