LOST FACES:
TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE EXHIBITION & VIGIL
‘LOST FACES’ Acknowledgments
Thank you to our artist, community partners, and sponsors who helped ensure that this exhibit and its subject matter could be shared with everyone.
Portrait Artist:
Gabriel Mendez
Community Partners:
Black Trans Advocacy Coalition | Equality Texas
Nu Trans Movement, Inc | Human Rights
Campaign | Lambda Legal | Finn’s Place
Arttitude | TXUUJM Trans-Cendence Int
LGBTQ SAVES | Pride Frisco | Makom Shelanu
North Texas Pride Foundation
Law Offices of Jayla Wilkerson, PLLC | GLAAD
SPACE at Adolphus Tower
Community Sponsors:
Jennifer Cross | Dewayne Tallmon | Suzie Miller
Alvester Duckworth | Lisa Napurano | Brian Beck
William Demeduk | Steve Atkinson | Katherine
Regis| Tim Blackburn | Michael Tijerina
Linda Reyes-Hart|Court & Hollis Wakefield
Anntoinette Baker
Trans Day of Remembrance History of
The first TDoR took place in November 1999 in Boston and San Francisco. It was founded by a small group, including Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Nancy Nangeroni, and Jahaira DeAlto, to memorialize the murder of Black transgender women Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts and Chanelle Pickett in Watertown, Massachusetts.
ChanellePickett
'72-'95
Ritahester '63-'98
‘LOST FACES’ Behind
While compiling data on transgender Texans whom we lost to violence in the Houston area for a hearing, a cold case from 1986 popped up due to new development.
In February 2021, the DNA Doe Project released that they had finally identified a black trans woman who was given the placeholder of Live Oak Doe.
For nearly 35 years, our trans sister remained unnamed, unclaimed, & her chosen family was unable to properly celebrate and honor her life.
‘LOST FACES’ Behind
Learning about Live Oak Doe was sobering news, but it prompted us to research and learn more about our trans and gender expansive siblings who we have lost to violence over the past decade.
Live Oak Doe Illustration by
Kim Parkhurst
‘LOST FACES’ Faces in
‘LOST FACES’ Faces in
‘LOST FACES’ Names of
The names of our trans and gender expansive siblings who we have lost to violence in Texas between 2013 and 2023
Artegus Madden, 34
Ty Underwood, 24
Mercedes Williamson,17
Shade Schuler, 22
Monica Loera, 43
Veronica Banks Cano, 40
Shante Thompson, 34
Erykah Tijerina, 36
Kenne McFadden, 26
Armani Dante Morgan, 27
Gwynevere River Song, 26
Brandi Seals, 26
Karla Patricia Flores-Pavon,18
Nicole Hall, 39
Nikki Janelle Enriquez, 28
Muhlaysia Booker, 23
Chynal Lindsey, 26
‘LOST FACES’ Names of
Johana Medina Leon, 25
Tracy Single, 22
Itali Marlowe, 29
Helle Jae O’Regan, 20
Merci Mack, 22
Asia Jynaé Foster, 22
Aidelen Evans, 24
Iris Santos, 22
Tiffany Thomas, 38
Rubi Dominguez, 29
CoCo Chanel Wortham, 44
Kiér Laprí Kartier, 21
Martina Caldera, 38
Za’niyah Williams, 21
Cypress Ramos, 21
Paloma Vasquez, 29
DeeDee Hall, 47
Marisela Castro, 39
Maria Jose Rivera, 22
Cam Chamberlain, 28
Elena Esther Adem, n/a
TDOR VIGIL 2023 -2024
The names listed below are our trans and gender expansive siblings who we have lost to violence between Nov 1st 2023 - October 31st 2024
London Star, 40
Ryan Zimmerman, 25
Jean Thomas Butchart, 26
Lola Laperla Ebony McDaniels, n/a
Kejuan Richardson, 21
Amiri Jean Reid, 21
Savannah Ryan Williams, 38
Amber Minor, 40
Meghan Riley Lewis, 53
Lexus Walker, 43
Kitty Moore, 43
Sasha Williams, 36
Rubie Toledo, n/a
Africa Parilla Garcia, 25
Nex Benedict, 16
Torrence “Chevy” Hill, 35
Reyna Hernandez, 54
Diamond Bringman, 36
Alex Franco, 21
Meraxes Medina, 24
TDOR VIGIL 2023 -2024
Yella Clark, 45
Nevaeh Goddard, 17
Tee “ Ace” Arnold, 36
Starr Brown, 28
Andrea Doria Dos Passos, 37
Darri Moore, 23
Kita Bee, 46
Jazlynn Johnson, 18
Tay Dior Thomas, 17
Michelle Henry, 25
Liara Kaylee Tsai, 35
Pauly Likens, 14
M. Tapia, 52
Kenji Zemonta Spurgeon, 23
Shannon Boswell, 30
Monique Brooks, 49
Dylan Gurley, 20
Vanity Williams, 34
Tai Lathan, 24
Kassim Omar, 29
Redd China, n/a
Honee Daniels, 37
San Coleman, 48
transtexas.org
equalitytexas.org
finnsplacetx.org nutransmovement.org
blacktrans.org
lambdalegal.org/helpdesk houseofrebirth.org
transequality.org
lgbtqsaves.org
northtexastransportationnetwork.org
hrc.org
trans-cendence.org
Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to highlight the losses we face due to antitransgender bigotry and violence. I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost. With so many seeking to erase transgender people—sometimes in the most brutal ways possible—it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice.
Gwendolyn Ann Smith Founder of Transgender Day of Remembrance
