What possible force can push you right to the podium of a perfect stranger’s funeral? Cosmic forces are strange things, for I’ll never be able to explain why I chose to attend the funeral of this one individual in particular. Yes, she was a part of the community, and yes, as a transgender person of color, she meant a lot to me, even if she was a perfect stranger. I miss her so much, I feel like I knew her for years, and that I have lost a wonderful friend, but the truth is, I didn’t even know she existed or what she really looked like until the funeral. I wonder what past life we shared together that made me decide that this funeral was my destiny.
Whatever the answer to these questions, I know that today marks a change in my life, brought on by a person who I never knew when they were living, at least in this life. I remember reading the agonizing article in Metro Weekly about her murder. Diamond Lee Person died another victim of domestic violence. What’s worse is she died when her murder could have been prevented had the community that I am so proud of provided the resources to help people in her situation. It pains me to see so much money going into the queer community, but so little coming out to aid a particular group in our community, transgender individuals.
In a city with the most attacks against transgender people, it is an utter shame that there exists no trans specific hotline in Washington D.C. for domestic abuse. A flame lit in me today that refuses to go out, and that flame took the form of words that shot out of my mouth as I stood at that podium and came to a realization. God gave us ears to hear those in need, God gave us eyes to see those in need and God gave us a mouth to speak out for those in need. We are how we treat our most disadvantaged. We cannot call ourselves civilized unless we show basic human compassion for those that we have most vehemently silenced and put down over the years, decades and centuries.
I did not need to know Diamond, because today her family and friends invited me into Diamond’s heart. They shared with me their grief and sorrow as if I was just another close friend of Diamond. I will forever remember and cherish their words and gift to me. In the death of Diamond Lee Person, they have given birth to a new conscience in me, a conscience aware of an entire community that needs my help, that needs our help, that needs everyone’s help. Just as importantly, I need their help, we need their help and everyone needs their help.
Transgender individuals have done and do so much for us that we never acknowledge. They have been at the front of the battle for queer rights. More so than we realize, they have been the front of the battle in every second of their lives as well. As a group, they are the most active group that I know in terms of making a difference in their neighborhoods. I say good bye to Diamond with a heavy heart, but I say hello to a new beginning for me, a beginning where I must double my efforts at reminding myself that I cannot take my privileges for granted. Every single human being deserves an equal chance at life, free of sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, racism, classism, xenophobia and just plain bigotry.
Today I honor a friend. Tomorrow I fight, fight like I always have for the past few years, but this time with renewed energy.
We must fight for the world we believe in, we do not have a choice in this life to do otherwise.
Author's Note: My name is Kevin Ballie, a student at American University (AU). I happen to work at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally (GLBTA) Resource Center at AU. My area of activism centers particularly around GLBT activism. My goal is to write diaries on DailyKos as a regular update concerning issues facing the GLBT community. I sincerely hope to gain a readership base of committed GLBT activists and our supporters. Such a base will only enhance DailyKos and provoke greater thought. Just as a note, I may use terms like gay, lesbian,bisexual transgender (GLBT) or queer (a substitute for GLBT).