On Monday November 21^st the “2016 Stockton University Trans Day of Remembrance” was held at Independence Circle, on Stockton University’s beautiful main campus in Galloway, NJ. The event was held to coincide with the national “Trans Day of Remembrance”, which is held every year on November 20^th. According to LGBTQNation.com; “Every year on November 20, transgender communities and their allies gather to remember the lives lost to anti-transgender violence the previous year, and to celebrate and support those who survive.”

Have Your Voice Heard: Become an Odyssey Creator

At 6pm several members of Stockton University’s “Pride Alliance” were joined by other LGBTQ supporters and guest speakers for a candlelight vigil to remember the 24 transgender people that were murdered in the United States in 2016. The names and ages of each of these unique and courageous souls were recited as attendees were huddled together, holding candles, and devoting their thoughts and respect to the victims.

Here is the list of these victims with their age in parentheses: Monica Loera (43), Jasmine Sierra (52), Kayden Clarke (24), Veronica Banks-Cano (Mid-30s), Maya Young (25), Demarkis Stansberry (30), Kedarie/Kandicee Johnson (16), Quartney Davia Dawsonn-Yochum (32), Shante Isaac (34), Keyonna Blakeney (22), Tyreece Walker (32), Mercedes Successful (32), Amos Beede (38), Goddess Diamond (20), Deeniquia Dodds (22), Dee Whigam (25), Sky Mockabee (26), Erykah Tijerina (36), Rae’Lynn Thomas (28), T.T. Safore (Mid-20s), Crystal Edmonds (32), Jazz Alford (30), Brandi Bledsoe (32), Noonie Norwood (30).

In addition to the reciting of names, touching speeches were given by two local transgender women. One of these women was Stockton University student Lauren Aeva McGurk. Lauren is a social work major and a peer educator for the Women's, Gender & Sexuality Center. Lauren asked the attendees to not only remember the 24 names that were recited but: ”Let us not forget those whose deaths go unannounced by this figure due to judicial neglect or an erasure of their identities by the media and in some cases by their families. Let us also remember those whose lives were lost in acts of suicide.” She later went on to say, ”I cannot help but feel overwhelmed with emotions as I consider and face the sickening reality of these events. These individuals, each with their own passions, ideas and hopes, dreams, struggles, intersectionality, and identities have been murdered in acts of violence across our nation.”

The words in that last sentence brought tears to my eyes as Lauren spoke them. Twenty-four people, all across the United State's, have been murdered because of their identity. People who shouldn’t be defined by a label, they should be defined only by words like courageous and heroic for deciding to live life as the person that they are inside, despite the challenges they may face and unfair judgment of others for doing so. Again, these were people, with thoughts, hopes, dreams, ideas, fear, courage, foods they liked, music they liked, people they cared about, and people who loved them. Again I find myself referring back to Lauren’s wise words: “a world that was too late to love has taken their love too soon.”

The President of Stockton Pride Alliance, Morganne Schafle, was on hand for the ceremony and I was able to speak with her about the event. Morganne will be graduating from Stockton in 2019 with a degree in Psychology. I reminded her of Lauren’s statement to her fellow Stockton University Students: “We are the future leaders of this nation, and we are inheriting this legacy; a legacy that we must uphold. From the Compton Cafeteria and Stonewell riots, to Renée Richards vs American Tennis Association, to the founding of the Transgender Law Center and The National Center for Transgender Equality, we must go forward, together, as both allies and members of the community, and seek the knowledge, resources, and strength to erase the struggles which the transgender community faces.” I asked Morganne: “What steps can we ask our supporting Stockton peers to take to help us combat this issue and bring an end to the violence, injustice, judgment, and misunderstanding that affects all transgender people in our communities?” She answered: “I believe a lot of trans-phobia stems from a lack of understanding. So it would be wonderful if our Stockton community came to our events and meetings and gain a better understanding of the Transgender community. Speak to some of our members. Being an ally is a lot of listening. Don't speak for someone just listen and try to understand.”

As a fairly new member of Stockton Pride Alliance myself, I would encourage all Stockton University student’s to accept Morganne’s invitation and come check out the club. The members are very diverse and come from many different racial backgrounds, are different ages, and cover several different sexual orientations and gender identities. Also, Pride Alliance is not just for members of the LGBTQ community, there are many heterosexual members like myself who choose to be members for various reasons like: supporting our LGBTQ peers, learning more about the LGBTQ community, asking for advice regarding a friend or family member that is a part of the LGBTQ community, or even just to make friends and create lasting connections. I initially joined to offer support and give my time to community members, but since joining I have gained just as much if not more than I have given, in the form of friendships, knowledge, familiarization, and overall joy from being part of such a great cause, and amazingly caring group of people. So please, Stockton Students, come join this great cause so we can help make revolutionary changes to the way trans-people are treated and viewed in our society, so that hopefully, in the very near future, we will not have any new names to read at the National Trans Day of Remembrance.