26 transgender people have been killed in a year. Quincy church to remember their losses

QUINCY – At least 26 transgender and nonbinary people have been violently killed in the United States this year, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign. Worldwide, 320 such deaths occurred between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, according to a report by Trans Murder Monitoring.

Victims will be remembered on Monday, Nov. 20, the international Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was founded in 1999 after the murder of African American trans woman Rita Hester in Boston.

In Quincy, the United First Parish Church will host a vigil at 1306 Hancock St. in Quincy Center at 7 p.m. The vigil will take place on the church's granite steps opening onto the Hancock Adams Common, followed by a reception inside.

McKayla Hoffman, who is a transgender, nonbinary person and a ministerial intern at United First Parish Church, said promoting justice for transgender and nonbinary people is a "theological imperative."

"(United First Parish Church) is made up of trans and nonbinary people," Hoffman said. "Unitarian Universalism is a religion about uplifting the inherent worth and dignity of all people."

Vigil in Quincy an opportunity to mourn those lost to violence

Hoffman said Monday's vigil will serve multiple purposes. By publicly acknowledging the ultimate price paid by innocent people when hate is allowed to flourish, a society can limit the perpetuation of such violence, Hoffman said.

"At its core, it serves as an opportunity for the trans and nonbinary community to mourn ... and to grapple with the fact that hatred going this far is a reality," Hoffman said.

Among those whose names will be read aloud on Monday is Levi Martin, of Lakeville, who died by suicide in December 2022 at the age of 17, Hoffman said.

Martin's obituary says he was born with Swyer syndrome, which means he presented as a female at birth but was genetically male.

The obituary says the "social stigma associated with being intersex, transgender and gay" caused Martin immeasurable suffering.

"I went to high school in Lakeville," Hoffman said. "It was heartbreaking (to learn of Martin's death), and unfortunately it wasn't surprising."

Candles will be lit and names will be read at Quincy vigil

At Monday's vigil, as each of the names of people who were killed or died by suicide over the past year are read aloud, a candle will be lit in their honor and memory.

Hoffman said transgender and nonbinary speakers will share their experiences with those in attendance.

During the reception after the service, resources will be available for those who want to know how to help and better understand issues facing the transgender and nonbinary community, Hoffman said.

The event is co-sponsored by the new Quincy chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (better known as PFLAG), Quincy Pride and the LGBTQ+ Commission of Quincy.

President of Quincy Pride and Ward 2 Councilor-elect Richard Ash said he's proud to partner with the event co-sponsors and United First Parish Church.

"Over the last couple of years, these Quincy-based organizations have come together to promote the inclusion of all members of the LGBTQIA+ Community in the City of Presidents," Ash said.

"Holding the Quincy Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil on Nov. 20 is the latest step forward for the community and our city."

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy Center vigil to observe Transgender Remembrance Day on Monday