Among the candlelight and powerful words, members of the Moscow community gathered in Friendship Square Friday night to remember the lost lives of transgender people for the Transgender Day of Remembrance Candlelight vigil.
The wind blew as the group gathered and tried to keep their candles lit while holding on to the photos of those in the transgender community who passed away this year.
Madeline Scyphers, University of Idaho senior and current senator of Inland Oasis planned the event with the help of other organizations.
“Someone needs to do it,” Scyphers said. “I know that transphobia and trans violence happens, but it’s important to remember and look at the faces of the victims.”
Scyphers gave a speech that provoked tears in the audience as she listed those whose faces were held by others and the ways in which they died.
The speeches were followed by a moment of silence. People stood in a huddled group with nothing but the lights of their candles eyes looking to the ground.
“The pain that we feel today cannot even begin to eclipse the pain felt by the ones who love these individuals,” Scyphers said.
UI freshman McKenzie Carscallen was among the students who attended the vigil.
“We both have been a part of the LGBT community for several years now, and it’s really important to us to come to events like this to show our friends support and to get support from them,” Carscallen said.
Elizabeth Forster, who underwent her transition in 1996, spoke during the vigil about the trouble that she has faced and the blessings she has through the support of her friends and family.
“I come here more an educator of things that have happened to other transgender people,” Forster said. “I always find it difficult. I always read the full list of the dead on the TDOR.info website and I count them.”
Forster is a Moscow resident and has faced persecution for her transgender identity to the extent of death threats, she said.
Elizabeth Stevens, a member of PFLAG — a group of support, education and advocacy surrounding LGBTQA issues — was part of the group that helped set up the vigil. Stevens said it is the least she and the community can do, to take some time out of their days for an important issue.
“The Transgender Day of Remembrance, it breaks my heart,” Stevens said. “When you look at the statistics about suicide, violence and poverty in the transgender community, it is so heartbreaking.”
After the vigil, there was a potluck held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse where people could meet and further mourn the lives of those lost in the transgender community.
As the community gathered, people comforted one another offering hugs and words of support.
“Together we can move forward we can take care of our trans siblings,” Scyphers said.
Nicole Etchemedy can be reached at [email protected]