On July 19, Melissa Kira, one of the leading members of the Pittsburgh branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, passed away.
“There are those that fight one day and are good, others fight one year and they’re better, and there are those who fight many years and are very good, but there are the ones who fight their whole lives and those are the indispensable ones.”
Bertolt Brecht
Melissa Kira was certainly an indispensable one. She was an extremely committed, intelligent, well-read and yet so humble revolutionary who had totally dedicated her life to the fight for a working class revolution in the U.S.
As a trans woman, Melissa’s very existence and survival in this sexist, misogynist system we call capitalism was an act of resistance. Knowing that there is no liberation until all people are free, Melissa fought and organized for the liberation of all who are oppressed, exploited, and discriminated against, always at the forefront of any struggle we engaged in, whether it is for workers, immigrants or women’s rights or against racism and U.S. imperialism.
She was the first to respond when white supremacists showed up to a PSL anti-war rally in an effort to disrupt our event.
She was one of the first to rush to Washington, D.C. when the embassy protectors at the Venezuelan embassy needed assistance in the thick of the U.S.-backed coup against Venezuela.
Melissa was the type of revolutionary many of us aspire to be and she will continue to live in our struggle. Our promise to Melissa is to continue her work to fight for nothing short of a socialist revolution.
Melissa Kira, presente!
