The Stop the Violence Campaign allowed for a time for the community to come together Saturday and mourn the four LGBTQ people of color who have been murdered in Jacksonville this year.
In attendance were members of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office LGBTQ liaison team who were there to engage with the community, as well as members of the Stiletto Sisters Society and Jacksonville's Community Rehabilitation Center.
JSO Officer Pendley said since the formation of the liaison team, issues like "dead naming," or using the name given at birth and not chosen by a trans person, after someone has died has been a topic of discussion. He believes it is now understood that not "dead naming" is a matter of respect.
This makes Pendley hopeful for future training in nuanced topics concerning JSO and the LGBTQ community.
Attendance was low for the event, however, the park on A. Phillip Randolph was open for a couple of hours for the community to mourn and celebrate. DJ Veronica Wilson of OUT Jax Radio was there to keep the energy up.
At previous events, members of the community expressed that there had been no time to mourn their lost loved ones and friends because the first reaction to the rash of violence had been activism.
A timeline of crime against the LGBTQ community:
February 4: Celine Devonne Walker, 36, was found shot dead at the Extended Stay America hotel in the Southpoint area.
June 1: Antash’a English, 38, died at the hospital after being shot between two abandoned homes in the 1500 block of Ella Street early that morning.
June 24: Cathalina James, 24, was found shot dead at the Quality Inn and Suites located in the 8300 block of Dix Ellis Trail
July 19: Jessie Sumlar, 30, was found dead inside his Northside apartment.
August 3: Arrest made in the Jessie Sumlar case.
Chloie Kensington, president of the Stiletto Sisters Society, a group aimed at helping to form a community to help LGBTQ, particularly trans, sex workers have stability financially and otherwise, said that the event was a chance for the community to come together if it wanted to.
Kensington created the Stiletto Sisters Society after her friend Antash'a English was murdered. Both she and Kensington were sex workers in Jacksonville, and Kensington said English's murder inspired her to do something to help create a safe environment for trans women of color in sex work and to help them transition out of it if they so choose.
Looking forward, Kensington wants the community to know that there will be more events for both non-LGBTQ and LGBTQ members of the community to come together.
On Oct. 13 there will be a Trans Circle event at the CRC, located at 623 Beachwood Street in Jacksonville. This is an event closed to media offering a safe space for LGBTQ, particularly trans members of the community, to come together to talk about any and all things.
On Oct. 20 at the CRC there will be a Rainbow Fun Day. The event will take place in the courtyard and will offer a chance for the community to mingle and have fun.