Candlelight vigil marks first Transgender Day of Remembrance in Merced
Merced’s Bob Hart square became illuminated with candlelight Wednesday evening as a group assembled to remember transgender people killed in 2019.
The gathering marked the Transgender Day of Remembrance’s 20th year nationally, but the first time its been recognized in Merced.
Organized by the Merced LGBTQ+ Alliance, attendees lit candles and listened to the names of transgender people violently killed in the United States this year.
“Even within our own LGBTQ community, there is hate toward the transgender community sometimes,” said Adam Lane, president of the Merced LGBTQ+ Alliance. “This is why its important to come together.”
Leon Camara, who attended the event, said it was promising to see Transgender Day of Remembrance come to a smaller town like Merced for the first time.
“I have a lot of trans[gender] friends in the community, so it’s nice to see they’re bringing awareness to the ones who lost their lives,” he said.
Transgender Day of Remembrance was created in November 1999 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender woman, according to GLAAD’s website. The day is intended to remember the transgender community’s past and advocate for its future.
During its 20 years, the level of violence against transgender people has changed little. Annual data collected by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation starting in 2013 reports the average number of violent transgender deaths in the U.S. each year to be at least 22.
That number spiked in 2017 with 29 victims, making it the deadliest year recorded. The HRC estimates those numbers are probably low due to under-reporting, misgendering of victims by the media or failing to acknowledge the individual was transgender.
Trish Osterhout, Merced LGBTQ+ Alliance’s secretary, said further research led her to a number greater than the widely reported 22 individuals killed this year.
“I did find a list of 22, but digging deeper I found more,” Osterhout said. “I ended up with a list of 80.”
She read all 80 names aloud.
“I’m hoping to bring an educational aspect to the community here,” Osterhout said. “And also give a sense of warning, and a sense that we’re trying to fight the problem.”
The FBI recently published 2018 hate crime statistics, which showed crimes against transgender individuals rose 34%.
Many of the deaths were from gunshot wounds and reported as homicides.
“A lot of these murders boil down to gender, race and class,” Lane said.
Most transgender victims are women of color. In 2019, the HRC Foundation found that 91% of those killed were black women.
Ursie Vasquez, who attended the remembrance gathering, said Merced could show the transgender community support with increased education, awareness and sensitivity training. She acknowledged Merced’s Main Street businesses have made supportive strides.
“So many business down here going gender neutral for their bathrooms- that’s something that makes transgender or non-binary people feel so much more safe and included,” Vasquez said.
Merced is rapidly improving for the LGBTQ community, Lane said, citing better healthcare access as a major step.
In the past, transgender individuals in Merced had to go to Fresno or San Francisco to see a professional for mental health or gender transitioning. Now, these resources are available at Golden Valley Health Centers in Merced.
“It’s still lacking, but much better,” Lane said.
Merced has improved culturally, too, according to Lane.
In June, the Merced Multicultural Arts Center showcased the largest transgender and non-binary art exhibit in California.
“It was heartbreaking, beautiful and creative,” Lane said. “It was really able to show how a whole group of people have been able to turn what has historically been a source of shame into a huge source of pride.”
The Merced LGBTQ+ Alliance offers a gender expansive support group every first and third Saturday at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 1:06 PM.
