JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dozens of people gathered in Hemming Plaza on Wednesday night to pay tribute to local members of the transgender community whose lives were lost to violence.
The Stiletto Sisters Society, the University of North Florida’s LGBT Resource Center, JASMYN and the Jacksonville Transgender Action Committee hosted the event.
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Attendees read aloud the names of transgender community members who were killed. Organizers said they want to encourage transgender people not to live in fear.
“We want to encourage transgender people to live. Live boldly, live proudly and take advantage of the resources here in the community that they might be in need of, so they can be an upstanding part of this community,” said Chloie Kensington, president of the Stiletto Sisters Society.
Last year, three transgender women were killed in Jacksonville.