Dozens of community members gathered Saturday, March 8 to honor the memory of murdered transgender woman Amyri Dior.
Family members and LGBTQ+ activists delivered speeches and performed songs in Dior’s memory, echoing calls for justice and change in the wake of her death.
Dior, who was 23 years old, was found dead after a shooting on Feb. 21 near the 8800 block of North 95th Street, according to the Milwaukee Police Department.
Dior’s death is being investigated as a homicide, and police have arrested a suspect in the case.
“Her voice mattered. She mattered. Her life mattered,” said SunShine Raynebow, member of Milwaukee Black Pride Correlation, an organization focused on “building a better, safer, and more equitable world for LGBTQ+ people and our families.”
“Trans lives matter, we exist, and we are not going anywhere,” Raynebow said.
“Let us not let Amyri just be another statistic,” said Mercedes Johnson, founder of Milwaukee Black Pride Correlation. “She had dreams, just like all of us.”
Violence against trans people has seen an uptick in recent years, leaving advocates worried about safety and survival.
In light of growing numbers of anti-trans laws appearing in state and federal legislatures, the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans for the first time in 2023.
Family members, including Dior’s mother, Perroina Williams, mourned at the vigil, recalling her kindness, joy and “vibrant energy.” A fundraiser has been set up to support funeral expenses for Dior’s immediate family.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
