By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

Community members braved cold winds Nov. 18 on the roof deck of the Center on Halsted to observe the Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating people who have fallen victim to gender-related violence.

Rev. Bradley Mickelson, of New Spirit Community Church in Oak Park, said there is no telling how many trans people are affected by violence each year.

“The names we read tonight are only the tip of the iceberg,” he said, adding that it is time for religious bodies to collectively think about how their rhetoric contributes to trans-phobia.

“The bigoted religious right stands tonight with blood on its hands,” Mickelson said.

William Greaves, director of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ Advisory Council on LGBT Issues, said the City works hard to ensure that transgenders are included in all policies pertinent to the community. He added that the city is finalizing policies to protect GLBTS in homeless shelters.

Stevie Conlon, chair of Illinois Gender Advocates, spoke of how difficult it is to convey the importance of transgender issues to the GLB community, a difficulty reflected by the controversy surrounding the ENDA legislation.

“We have to ask ourselves, ‘Are we one community or a patchwork?” Conlon asked.

She added, “I’ve been laughed at, asked to leave restaurants and threatened with violence. And those people did that to me because they perceived me as gay.”

Rick Garcia, of Equality Illinois, and Laura Velasquez, of Center on Halsted’s Anti-Violence Project, also spoke at the vigil.

Sixteen chairs were placed before the audience, each with a lit candle. As names of transgender victims of hate crimes were read, the candles were extinguished one-by-one.

The vigil was followed by “Night of the Fallen Stars,” a performance by transgender artists in the Hoover-Leppen Theater. Among the performers were Actor/Model, Johnny T and Mariah, among others.

Co-emcee MzLois said that it was important to follow up the vigil with an affirmation of the transgendered spirit.

“We’re the ones who have to keep on going,” she said.