Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil at AU

On the evening of November 19th the Queers and Allies' Trans and Non-Binary Collective at American University held the Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil and Speakout. After speakers at the indoor portion spoke of the severe discrimination, poverty, and widespread murder and police violence faced by transgender people, everyone went outside for a vigil to remember those who have been killed. Flags of remembrance for the fallen were planted in the quad while the whole group held candles in the dark.

During the Q and A after the speakers, the question came up of the current status of Jess, brutalized by police and arrested during the November 18th blockade of the shopping district by the Target. She has been released and is in high spirits, though there is still the refiled charge to deal with. Transgender activists put so much heat on the police department that Chief Lanier was forced to issue some kind of response, though I do not know what the content of that reponse was at this time.