Nancy Nangeroni: In the Wake of Hate Crime
by: Autumn Sandeen
Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 12:00:00 PM EST
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13913/in-the-wake-of-hate-crimeThis is a guest post by Nancy Nangeroni. Nancy is a transgender community activist, writer, and musician. Former executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education and former co-host of Gender Talk Radio, she is widely known for her incisive writing and inspiring speaking and media appearances, including the landmark A&E piece "Transgender Revolution." She has been involved in the Transgender community since 1990, and became a leading voice in the Transgender Movement with her call for a national challenge to anti-transgender violence and discrimination in 1995.
By Nancy Nangeroni
Picture this: it's a crisp early December night, and you're walking down the sidewalk of a semi-urban street, carrying a candle whose flame flutters in the night, struggling to stay lit. On one arm, the mother of a trans woman who has just been murdered, and on the other, the sister. Trailing behind, a seemingly endless stream of mourners carrying candles. Against the semi-darkness of a busy street dominated by the sound of traffic and the glare of street lights, the stream struggles for visibility. The mother at your side is not shy about sharing her grief with the world around you, and her cries into the night - "Who took my baby!" - echo off the walls on either side. You did not know the murdered girl for whom the outpouring of grief and solidarity materialized almost overnight, but you cannot help but be moved, deeply, by her mother's generous sharing of her grief. You are part of a community of caring people who have lost one of their own to violence. The somber vigil moves on into the night, following as you lead the bereaved family to the site of the brutal crime. Your entire being resonates with shared loss.
