Members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies came together to mourn the loss of three local transgender women who have all been murdered within the last three months in Jacksonville.
The first transgender woman to be murdered this year in Jacksonville died on Feb. 4. Thirty-six-year-old Celine Walker was found shot and killed inside a room at the Extended Stay America in the Southpoint area.
On June 1, 38-year-old Antash’a English was found with a gunshot wound to the abdomen between two abandoned homes in the 1500 block of Ella Street. She later died at a hospital.
And on June 24, Cathalina James, 24, was found shot dead at the Quality Inn and Suites located in the 8300 block of Dix Ellis Trail.
In attendance were members from JASMYN, the Woman's March, Equality Florida, Jacksonville Trans Action Committee, and many other organizations which came together to show support for black trans women.
The LGBT spiritual community and allies began the vigil/rally with a prayer. Pastors and spiritual community leaders expressed their concerns for the safety of those in the community and also offered a safe space for worship to those who need it.
Many members of the transgender community spoke and called to action the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office demanding that the members of the community stop being misgendered, or identified as the names they do not go by.
"By misgendering victims it makes the crime no longer a hate crime, and it is a hate crime," said one speaker.
"We are here," said AJ Jamerson. "We are here and we are human." Jamerson is with the TRAC and they said that they do not feel safe here in Jacksonville as part of the trans community.
The message of the rally was clear: voices will not be quiet while injustices are enacted upon their community.
"The more you try to quiet us, the more loud we will get," said Lakey Love with Equality Florida. "When fear becomes the norm, society has unhitched itself from humanity," they said. "And what's happening here is the dehumanization of beautiful people. Black trans lives matter and black trans lives are beautiful."
