Two tragedies converged on the queer and trans community on Sunday, Nov. 20. As the San Diego LGBT Community Center was being prepared to host a vigil for the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, people woke up to the news that a mass shooter had targeted a gay bar in Colorado Springs, killing five and injuring many more.
With vaccination cards in hand and donning KN95s at the door, people gathered that evening inside the Center for the first time in a few years to honor the memories of ‘trancestors’ lost in the past year.
The Center’s vigil pivoted to include a moment of silence for the victims of Club Q before a program with an indigenous blessing, a keynote address from a transgender elder, and a reading of the names of the 32 transgender people in the US murdered in 2022 so far.
“This is heartbreaking. We don’t have all the details. But what we do know is that the bouts of violence towards our community are far too common. And the rising extremism in this country is cause for concern,” said Achi Vasquez, program manager of transgender and non-binary services at the Center.
During the ceremony at the Center, trans people, including keynote speaker Tracie Jade O’Brien, shared the names and stories of the 32 people already known to be murdered nationally. For a few, all that was known was their name. The speakers noted that this is due to discrimination and other factors that disproportionately push transgender people to the margins such as poverty, homelessness, sex work, racism, and disability.
“Stopping trans murders is everyone’s responsibility,” Vasquez said, explaining that these murders occur because of systemic discrimination against transgender people, and in particular, against BIPOC trans women.
2021 was a record-breaking year for trans people murdered. 57 were killed in the US alone.
By the time the service ended, friends and family would be publicly mourning the loss of another transgender person who would be added to the list of 32 ‘trancestors.’ Daniel Aston, a bartender at Club Q, was a transgender man remembered for being welcoming and kind to people coming out at the beginning of the pandemic. Patrons of the club took to social media to remember the man who made sure they felt comfortable and safe at Club Q.
The next morning, Colorado Springs Police would share the names of all the victims, including Kelly Loving, a 40-year-old transgender woman beloved by the Denver trans community.
In her address, 71-year-old O’Brien encouraged the audience, stating that when growing up she was afraid to go to school and be in the street yet despite many struggles, she is still here. She said she is tired of crying and is choosing hope.
“We gotta learn to take care of ourselves,” O’Brien said, urging the community to care for each other, love each other, and not be separated. She pulled a stun gun from her purse and made it buzz with electricity.
The LGBTQ community learned from the tragedy of the Pulse Nightclub in which 49 people were killed, partially because police waited two hours to enter the building so victims bled out while waiting for medical care. In Colorado Springs, a transgender woman and veteran stopped the shooter in five minutes.
Two blocks away from the Center at the Pride Flag, switched out to a transgender flag flown at half mast, a vigil was held for the Club Q victims by a coalition of leftist organizations including FreeStoreSD, Direct Action Drumline, and others.
A speaker at the vigil gestured at the police officers blocking the roads and watching the event at a distance, “They are not here to protect us. They will not protect us. That’s not their job.”
The Supreme Court has ruled multiple times that police officers do not have a duty to protect people from harm.
The organizers urged people to protect each other. They also gave out free Narcan to reverse overdoses, Fentanyl test strips, clean syringes, and other items to care for people.
A speaker at the Pride Flag also echoed Vasquez’s statement that political fear mongering and anti-trans legislation were partially to blame for radicalized anti-LGBT violence.
“I am just so livid because this is not mental illness. These are f***ing loser a** incels that spend way too much time online thinking that drag queens are like converting our children and doing perverted s*** whenever they just want to read a story,” the speaker said.
At a community meeting at Rich’s on Nov. 21, SDPD Chief David Nisleit said hate has no place in San Diego and spoke with business owners about safety protocols. He promised to deploy more officers to Hillcrest. Mayor Todd Gloria urged people to report any suspicious activity.
The community then marched to the Pride flag, switched out to a regular rainbow flag at half mast, where people left candles and flowers in commemoration of those lost in Colorado Springs.
