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WE ARE ALL JUNIPER BLESSING Honoring a trans life lived authentically — taken too soon BY MADISON JONES, SGN MANAGING EDITOR
JUNIPER BLESSING PHOTO VIA HRA SANTA FE MEMORIAL PHOTOS VIA INSTAGRAM
On May 10, a 19-year-old Trans woman named Juniper Blessing was sadly taken away from this world. At around 10:10 p.m., University of Washington police officers responded to a call of a potential stabbing at Nordheim Court, an off-campus student apartment complex. They found Blessing dead in her building’s laundry room, having sustained over 40 stab wounds and bleeding out, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The tragedy of Blessing’s murder — another Transgender youth’s life lost due to needless violence — has since reverberated throughout the communities she was a part of as family, friends, classmates, and others collectively mourn her loss. Family memories Blessing’s family, in a statement released by the Sante Fe Human Rights Alliance, shared both their memories and the immense grief of their loss. The family described their Trans daughter, born on September 22, 2006 in Princeton, NJ, as “simply the most amazing human being we have ever known — highly intelligent, extremely talented, and deeply sensi-
tive to the needs of others.” Her family said weather had been one of Juniper’s loves since early childhood, and that she intended to study atmospheric science at the UW. They also noted how their daughter was “a gifted singer with a transcendent voice” and was studying voice and pursuing minors in both music and philosophy. From 2020 to 2024, she had attended the New Mexico School for the Arts for her singing voice, having moved to Sante Fe with her family in 2018. The family said their daughter loved both Seattle and Sante Fe and used to work as an usher at the Sante Fe Opera in the summertime. They also described the impact her tragic death has had on them. “Our family has been shattered by the loss of our child,” the statement said. “Juniper’s loss not only devastates us but diminishes the world.” Statements UW President Robert J. Jones expressed condolences to Blessing’s family and friends the day after her killing. He also addressed the impacts that tragic incidents like these have on the UW’s LGBTQIA+ students and staff.
“There are no words that can express the profound loss of a student,” Jones said. “I want to recognize that when violence affects a trans person, it can be especially worrying to our LGBTQIA+ community members. Our Division of Student Life is reaching out to students affected and providing support and resources to help them through this very difficult ordeal.” Seattle City Councilmember Maritza Rivera, who represents District 4, which covers the UW, also issued a statement: “As a mom, my heart aches for her family and friends. As a councilmember, this violent crime is disturbing.” Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck also gave a statement about the situation: “Trans people deserve safety, dignity, and prosperity. Last night, a 19-year-old trans woman was murdered off-campus at the UW, a life over far too soon. My heart is with both the trans and UW student communities, and I hope all of Seattle will join me in showing up for our trans community with care and compassion during this time.” Seattle’s LGBTQ Commission wrote, “We express an all-too-familiar grief in our community: Trans and Queer
young people, the community members that embody the best and brightest hopes for our future, are often gone too soon as a result of horrific acts of violence against them. While we would hope for a different reality in Seattle, a city that openly celebrates Trans and Queer people, it is clear that there is much work to be done.” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said her office was working with the UW and its Q Center “to provide support to the communities who surrounded this young trans woman.” Memorials On May 18, the Sante Fe community held a memorial to honor the memory of Blessing. Kevin Bowen of the Sante Fe Human Rights Alliance spoke at the event. He told the crowd what her family had relayed to him about Blessing: “Juniper’s mother said to me, ‘Know that she was pure love,’ and her brother said she was the most amazing person in the world. We would often speak about life, and I would go to her with my problems.” In Seattle, a May 16 vigil was organized by Gender Justice League and the Trans Collective at the UW on campus to mourn her loss.
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