A ceremony was held in Maryland on Tuesday in honor of Meghan Lewis, a transgender woman who was shot and killed outside of her home on December 27, reportedly in the course of an identity dispute.
Candles, music, warm drinks, and people sharing their memories of Lewis were all present at the Harford County Circuit Court during the ceremony, which was held in a small courtyard in front of a spouting waterfall.
Lee Blinder, the executive director and founder of Trans Maryland, told Truthout that Meghan Riley Lewis was a “community pillar and enthusiastic leader in areas of networking,” in addition to having children, being an accomplished software administrator, and being a veteran. “When she was killed last week, her death increased the number of trans community murders (mostly trans women and transfeminine people) to another heartbreaking number.”
Lewis, 57, was a leader in the Maryland trans community and frequently collaborated with Maryland Safe Haven, the only trans-led drop-in wellness facility in Baltimore. In order to assist transgender people who came to Baltimore for gender-affirming care, she also established a persistent support group.
“We held the ceremony on Tuesday to celebrate Meghan’s life, to recognize all that she accomplished for the Baltimore LGBTQ+ area, and to honor her vivacious spirit. She is sorely missed,” Lewis’s close friend Zosia told Truthout. “We are having trouble understanding what happened.”
Zosia continued, “I’m not going to lie — this is difficult. But as Meghan often said, ‘be sparkly’ and move forward in love, happiness, and strength, as she would have wanted us to, we must work together to dispel the gloom of transphobic violence and hatred. We can continue her legacy in this way.”
Lewis offered to host a holiday meal for trans people who had nowhere to celebrate before she was killed.
She was well-loved by many and a fixture in the community. Journalist Erin Reed wrote on social media, “We were just talking about how she was devoting her life to feeding hungry and unhoused LGBTQ+ people.”
Lewis announced in her most recent message to Reed that she would start a regular LGBTQ+ family dinner in Baltimore. Lewis wrote in the text to Reed, “I’m going to find a place in Baltimore that will allow me to serve our shared tribe and give them some family time. No charge; just come and eat.”
Blinder told Truthout, “She will always be a beautiful light that sought to gather those who sought only one person to care about them, and that person was often Meghan.” “Meghan supported the administration of Maryland’s trans-led organizations both practically and financially while doing this effortlessly for some. She worked with me and was a friend.”
Lewis was one of more than 30 transgender and non-conforming individuals who died in 2023 as a result of gunfire and other forms of interpersonal violence. According to Renee Lau, senior director of elderly and disabled housing at Maryland Safe Haven, the case may be classified as a hate crime, according to WBAL-TV.
In a report on transgender people’s violence in 2023, Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) President Kelley Robinson remarked that “this year we’ve seen an explosion in violent and hateful rhetoric aimed at the LGBTQ+ community, full of words that make both physical violence and discriminatory legislation more palatable for those in need of a scapegoat.”
Transgender people in the United States are said to be in a state of national emergency, according to the HRC report, “The Epidemic of Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community. Along with a wave of anti-trans speech and regulations put in place by politicians in 2022, almost 500 transphobic hate crimes were documented. Legislators introduced and passed a record amount of anti-trans legislation in 2023, which is anticipated to increase violence against transgender people.
Blinder told Truthout, “Her death should never have happened, and we will be working in the upcoming days, weeks, or years to get justice for her and, most importantly, to ensure that her work continues uninterrupted.” “We must work together to create a world where transgender people, especially trans women and transfeminine, can freely roam public spaces. Who will join us on that journey is still up in the air, and anyone reading this is welcome to accept my invitation. Will you join in our struggle?”
