Vigil For Murdered Transgender Women To Be Held in Ybor City Friday Night
Out and Loud FL is hosting a candlelight vigil and “Wall of Love” Friday night (March 3rd) in Ybor City in memory of the seven transgender women who have been murdered in the United States so far in 2017 and as a show of solidarity with the entire transgender community.
Supporters will gather across the street from the 7–11 at 1535 E 7th Avenue in Ybor City at 9 PM for a candlelight vigil and memorial reading. This will be followed by the formation of a Wall of Love on both sides of 7th Avenue. Supporters are asked to bring flags, signs and LED candles to the event which will last until 1 AM.
In a statement to TB Social Action, event organizer and Out and Loud FL founder Aaron Muñoz said:
“For years a Westboro-style group of hate preachers has gathered on 7th Ave. to harass LGBTQ patrons with megaphones and bigoted signs. Post-election, they have grown increasingly aggressive, even shoving people into the street. Local law enforcement does nothing to stop it. Tonight’s Wall of Love will double as a vigil beginning at 9 PM for the seven transgender women killed so far in 2017, and an educational opportunity for Ybor to get to know, and stand with, the trans community.”
Out and Loud FL has formed a Wall of Love in Ybor City every Friday since last November, which Muñoz says serves “as a buffer between hate speech and Ybor’s diverse communities.”
The seven transgender women who have been murdered in The United States in 2017: Jaquarrius Harris, Keke Collier, Chyna Gibson, Ciara McElveen, Mesha Caldwell, Jaime Lee Wounded Arrow and JoJo Striker were all women of color.
For more information on tonight’s vigil and Wall of Love please the event’s Facebook Event page.
Out and Loud Florida is a boots-on-the-ground movement of LGBTQ+ and ally activists, focused on amplifying voices of particularly marginalized groups within community and drawing attention to intersectionality. It was founded in November of 2016 by Aaron Muñoz, a Hispanic, transgender LGBTQ+ activist in central Florida.
TB Social Action is an independent publication dedicated to reporting on social and political action events in the Tampa Bay area. Please send press releases or coverage requests to tbsocialaction@gmail.com
