News :: GLBT
House of Reps. offers proclamation in support of Transgender Day of Remembrance by Hannah Clay Wareham
Associate EditorTuesday Nov 17, 2009 Members of the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) and family members of those who have been murdered for being transgender gathered at the Massachusetts State House on Nov. 17 to witness a proclamation given in support of this week’s upcoming Transgender Day of Remembrance by the House of Representatives.
Rep. Carl Sciortino (D) offered introductions at the meeting that aimed to "honor the celebrations and awareness happening this week" and showcase the "very real stories of struggle and pain and mourning."
"Transgender Day of Remembrance is time for our community to come together to remember and share our memories of transgender people who have been lost to senseless violence," Gunner Scott, executive director of the MTPC, said Tuesday. "We can never undo what has been done to our community members, the transgender people who have been murdered here in Massachusetts, but we can bring some sense of justice by passing H 1728/S 1687: An Act Relative to Gender Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes."
State Sen. Benjamin Downing (D) indicated that the Senate and House would work to make these protections a reality. "No matter what anyone says, I’m confident we’re going to get there," he said.
Scott took a moment to remember Rita Hester, an Allston transgender woman stabbed to death in her apartment in 1998 weeks after Matthew Sheppard, a 21-year-old Wyoming native, had been killed in Laramie for being gay. After noting the drastic differences in mainstream media coverage, Scott relayed his fears as a member of the transgender community. "This could be me," he remembered thinking. "This could be any of the people I’m connected to...we talk about this in support groups: what would happen if we were killed?"
Nancy Nangeroni, chair of the MTPC’s steering committee, criticized the portrayal of Hester in not only the mainstream media, but LGBT media as well. Reports of Hester leading a "double life" were "patently false...she was a woman all the time with everyone."
Scott was joined by Nangeroni; Grace Sterling Stowell, a member of the steering committee and founder of Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth (BAGLY); Ethan St. Pierre, whose transgender aunt Deborah Fordi was stabbed to death in 1995; and Ken and Marsha Garber, whose transgender son CJ died this past January of a heroin overdose.
St. Pierre took the floor to deliver the disturbing news that his aunt’s killer will be eligible for parole next year. The man who had brutally stabbed Fordi made a deal and received a sentence of fifteen years to life because the District Attorney on Fordi’s case didn’t think a jury would be sympathetic to the transgender woman’s "lifestyle."
"We are victims of terrorism," Nangeroni said, recalling Georgette Hart, a Charlestown transgender woman whose throat was slashed and whose penis was cut off and stuffed into her mouth. Hart was then run over by a car.
Although he hadn’t planned to, Ken Garber spoke up, saying, "We’re people, we’re human beings, and that’s the truth." The father’s voice broke, and he took a moment before continuing. "Whether you understand it or not, passing [H 1728/S 1687] is the right thing to do." Rep. Byron Rushing (D) put a hand on Mr. Garber’s shoulder. CJ Garber, Mr. and Mrs. Garber’s 20-year-old transgender son, died of a heroin overdose this past January.
CJ, who transitioned during his junior year of high school, battled with suicide ideations and the challenge of finding acceptance for years. "He was very brave," Mrs. Garber said later. "He couldn’t keep up with the stress [of college] because he couldn’t assimilate ... Some transgender people have a pain place," Mrs. Garber said, putting a hand over her heart. "Even though you transition, there’s something missing, probably because they don’t fit in."
"I hope talking about my experience will help other parents," Mr. Garber said, blinking back tears, "because that’s where we’re losing. It’s hard for other people to take these kids seriously if their parents don’t take them seriously."
The House of Representatives also took the opportunity to honor the work of the MTPC.
"Thank you for all the hard work you’ve done...educating me, but also our colleagues," Downing said.
Sciortino referenced last week’s release of poll results revealing that 76% of Massachusetts voters support legal protections for transgender people, saying that "When we talk about [the need for transgender protection], people support it."
Hannah can be reached at hclaywareham@baywindows.com.
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