Remembering and learning from those we’ve lost: Transgender Day of Remembrance
Aaron McWhorter - Contributor
Graphic by Audrey Garcia
In recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Nov. 20, let’s take a moment to learn about three of the lives we lost this year: Sam Nordquist, Lillia Holland and Charlotte Fosgate.
There have been 280 globally recorded deaths of transgender individuals this year alone. This number will only continue to grow without immediate action. Knowing their lives and their perpetual fight for civil rights motivates us to stay loud and determined to strengthen our movement for trans acceptance.
Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old black trans man, was the light of every community he was welcomed into. He worked at a group home for disabled residents; he spent his life helping others. His family and friends loved Sam dearly. It was a privilege to live in his presence.
His death was reported on Feb. 14 of this year. Sam met one of his attackers on a dating app, where they talked for several months before she lured him from his town of Little Canada, MN, to a motel in New York. There, he was held captive and tortured for a month before authorities found his body in a field nearby.
Sam had inexhaustible love to give. He is not at fault for trying to share it with another person. His attacker manipulated him and took advantage of his trust.
Sam died in a brutal, disgusting way, but he spent his life spreading love to everyone around him. Remember that your spirit and your persistence in seeking joy are your most potent forms of protest. We will continue to stand firm; we will protect our own.
When his family stopped receiving text replies, they called the police and begged them to perform a wellness check on Sam. The police ignored the family’s cries for weeks. His murder proves how unreliable the police are at protecting marginalized communities. Sam’s family is all he has looking out for him. That’s all wehave as well.
Lillia Holland wanted to find a community where she could feel safe, a characteristic her hometown lacked.
On Sept. 9, she posted a suicide note online, where she shared her hope for the future. In her own words, she spent her life spreading positivity in a world of hate, despite her own pain. She always aspired to make a place where those in need could feel welcome and loved.
Charlotte Fosgate lost her life in the same way on May 25 of this year. That night, she made a post online: “It’s a pretty view,” with an image she took of the skyline from a bridge. This post was hounded with heinous comments, daring her to jump. Charlotte took her life that night, and this post became a meme to spread violent, transphobic hate all over the internet. This same hateful rhetoric led more than just Charlotte to commit suicide.
All three of these deaths are the result of an emboldened, hateful society in which trans people feel isolated and villainized. They are tragedies that serve as alarm bells we cannot ignore. Take the knowledge you’ve acquired here and apply it to your life. Check on your friends, make sure they’re being cautious online, and tell them you love them.
Take each obituary you read and every suicide note posted online as a sign to join or form communities with queer people around you where you feel safe and supported. The value of these groups should not be underestimated. Happiness is our protest, but community is how we’ll make it out alive.
Happy Trans Day of Remembrance to you and to all who were taken from us.
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Remembering and learning from those we’ve lost: Transgender Day of Remembrance
In recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Nov. 20, let’s take a moment to learn about three of the lives we lost this year: Sam Nordquist, Lillia Holland and Charlotte Fosgate.
There have been 280 globally recorded deaths of transgender individuals this year alone. This number will only continue to grow without immediate action. Knowing their lives and their perpetual fight for civil rights motivates us to stay loud and determined to strengthen our movement for trans acceptance.
Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old black trans man, was the light of every community he was welcomed into. He worked at a group home for disabled residents; he spent his life helping others. His family and friends loved Sam dearly. It was a privilege to live in his presence.
His death was reported on Feb. 14 of this year. Sam met one of his attackers on a dating app, where they talked for several months before she lured him from his town of Little Canada, MN, to a motel in New York. There, he was held captive and tortured for a month before authorities found his body in a field nearby.
Sam had inexhaustible love to give. He is not at fault for trying to share it with another person. His attacker manipulated him and took advantage of his trust.
Sam died in a brutal, disgusting way, but he spent his life spreading love to everyone around him. Remember that your spirit and your persistence in seeking joy are your most potent forms of protest. We will continue to stand firm; we will protect our own.
When his family stopped receiving text replies, they called the police and begged them to perform a wellness check on Sam. The police ignored the family’s cries for weeks. His murder proves how unreliable the police are at protecting marginalized communities. Sam’s family is all he has looking out for him. That’s all we have as well.
Lillia Holland wanted to find a community where she could feel safe, a characteristic her hometown lacked.
On Sept. 9, she posted a suicide note online, where she shared her hope for the future. In her own words, she spent her life spreading positivity in a world of hate, despite her own pain. She always aspired to make a place where those in need could feel welcome and loved.
Charlotte Fosgate lost her life in the same way on May 25 of this year. That night, she made a post online: “It’s a pretty view,” with an image she took of the skyline from a bridge. This post was hounded with heinous comments, daring her to jump. Charlotte took her life that night, and this post became a meme to spread violent, transphobic hate all over the internet. This same hateful rhetoric led more than just Charlotte to commit suicide.
All three of these deaths are the result of an emboldened, hateful society in which trans people feel isolated and villainized. They are tragedies that serve as alarm bells we cannot ignore. Take the knowledge you’ve acquired here and apply it to your life. Check on your friends, make sure they’re being cautious online, and tell them you love them.
Take each obituary you read and every suicide note posted online as a sign to join or form communities with queer people around you where you feel safe and supported. The value of these groups should not be underestimated. Happiness is our protest, but community is how we’ll make it out alive.
Happy Trans Day of Remembrance to you and to all who were taken from us.