For almost two years now, there has been a valiant and stouthearted fight for transgender students’ rights to be put into place in Sarasota County Schools. On November 20 on Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), members of PSL and ANSWER Suncoast Em DeLarme and I led the effort to celebrate and organize for this very important day in front of the Sarasota County School Board building.
Though it was small, that certainly doesn’t erase the fact that it was a very empowering night that will forever resonate with the folks who attended the event, no matter if they were cisgender or transgender.
A day like this is always an important day to not only reflect on, but speak out on, especially since the deaths of innocent transgender people—who typically happen to be Black trans women—are involved.
“I think it’s important to remember that death is the most permanent thing in the world. The people that are dead aren’t just names. They had lives that were taken and they don’t even get the decency of an easy death. I think it’s shameful to ignore all the bodies we have to step over just to go about our normal lives,” said Chelsea Alberda, a substitute teacher for Sarasota County Schools who attended the event last Monday night.
We placed three trans pride flags in the ground as well as signs with the photos and names of many innocent trans folks that have had their lives taken away from them this year, such as Scout Schultz, Stephanie Montez, Mesha Caldwell and unfortunately many more.
As night fell and we had all been mingling and getting an overall good reaction from ongoing traffic for a good amount of time, we decided to wrap up the event by delivering speeches DeLarme and I had written for this serious occasion. I was the first to deliver a speech.
“Like everyone, I want to rest, recover and move on! Right here, right now, you’re helping me do that!” I exclaimed nearly triumphantly towards the end of my speech. “We’re giving these innocent trans people who are mainly Black trans women justice. We are helping the ongoing traffic know that this is an issue that needs to and will be resolved. If we keep going, if we keep organizing, if we keep doing what we’re doing, we will get justice! We will give recognition!”
DeLarme was the next and final speaker for the night.
“TDOR isn’t supposed to be political, [some people say], which is nonsense. Our very lives are political. Look into the faces of the fallen. You will find that most of them are Black trans women. If this wasn’t political, wouldn’t more of them look like me?” DeLarme, a white man, pointed out.
“We can tell those in power our lives are not up for debate,” he said. “Our lives; the lives of our siblings that demand recognition; the lives of our sisters happy for the taste of freedom in expressing their inner beauty; the lives of our brothers simply trying to be better men. So long as that is even a question we’ll be out here being political.”
As a transgender person myself and an organizer of this beautiful event, I know that the fight for justice for innocent transgender people who have been murdered is something that is often overlooked, but I can tell that is changing. We’re beginning to go out on the streets more, come out more as transgender people, speak out more, fall towards each other more and organize more.
With the help of days like Transgender Day of Remembrance, it’s becoming more and more impossible to tune us out. We will be heard. These victims that are clawing at their caskets, begging and crying for justice, will be heard. We will be seen. Monday night helped me understand that more clearly. As I live and breathe as an unapologetic, openly transgender child, I see this more clearly.
I see beautiful things in our future. I see triumph and defeat. I see loss and gain. I see us breaking free of our chains.
I see justice.