Remembrance of those lost

Awareness, remembrance: To increase awareness and honor those who have been murdered, local nonprofit Just Us for All hosts the Transgender Day of Remembrance each fall. photos by Megan Dombroski

As the sun began to set Nov. 20, about 50 people gathered outside the Asheville Civic Center. Bearing white candles and paper banners, they marched, silently and reverently, to the Vance Monument as part of the worldwide Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors murdered transgender people.

“A lot of people, when they pass away from being murdered and being trans, they don’t have families, or they lost the life that they once had when they were identifying as another gender,” notes Sam Soper, founder/president of Just Us For All, which co-sponsored the local event with Alliance, a UNCA student organization.

“Along with that goes that, basically, no one’s really paying them respect. There’s also just recognizing and looking at the amount of trans-phobic behavior in our society and how accepted it is in some ways.”

Even in Asheville, says Soper, people could do a better job of accepting the transgender community. “We still have tourists that come from out of town; we don’t have gender-neutral bathrooms, and I get questions a lot about trying to use different pronouns. People just aren’t educated on it; it’s something people just need to be exposed to and learn about.”

UNCA freshman Matthew Turpin, the community-outreach coordinator for Just Us For All, said he had to prepare himself for the emotional experience of participating in the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

“The transgender community is obviously underrepresented in society, and the violence against them can’t go unnoticed,” he explained. “If we continue in our society to cover it up, like the news not reporting it or reporting it with the incorrect pronouns and not really giving respect to the person, then nothing will ever change, and they’ll just continue to be like an outsider to society.”

As a gay man, Turpin says he sees great value in such events. “If we go to a remembrance like this and we realize that the violence is happening, we’ll also realize that, ultimately, we can do something to change that. While there’s not something that’s just going to happen overnight, through education and the realization and acceptance, violence will decrease,” he says.

— Send your health-and-wellness news and tips to Caitlin Byrd at mxhealth@mountainx.com or news@mountainx.com.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.