Alexis Erlynmeyer was a transgender woman, a federal worker, and a beloved member of the DMV community. She died on December 27 at just 31 years old from a pulmonary embolism. Alexis lived openly and authentically among her friends and chosen family here. She was thoughtful, brilliant, dryly funny, and deeply kind—the sort of person who made others feel seen even while carrying more than her share of pain.

After her death, her family learned that Alexis was transgender and that she had built a full, meaningful life here. They have chosen to cremate her and bury her under her deadname. Those of us who loved her cannot allow that to be the only way she is remembered. This fund is being created to memorialize Alexis with her correct name and identity, preserve her dignity, and ensure she is remembered truthfully. Funds raised will first go toward creating or updating a memorial that reflects Alexis as she lived and was known. Any remaining funds will be donated to local transgender and LGBTQ+ mutual aid organizations in the DMV, in her name.

Alexis mattered. Her name was real. Her gender was real. Her life was real. This fund exists to make sure she is not erased in death after surviving so much erasure in life. Thank you for helping us honor Alexis with the care and honesty she deserved.

***Update***

When this fundraiser was started just yesterday, the original goal was $1,200 — simply to create a small dedication in Alexis’s name. The response has been extraordinary, and because of your generosity, we are now able to dream bigger and plan for a proper, lasting memorial.

Our vision is to commission a pride-painted bench in a park near Alexandria, where Alexis lived, along with a small companion memorial sculpture — a public, accessible, affirming place where her friends, chosen family, and community can gather to remember and honor her as she truly was.

We have begun looking for a queer artist — preferably based in the DMV — to help bring this vision to life in a way that reflects Alexis’s joy, warmth, and authenticity.

Any additional funds raised beyond what is needed for the memorial will be donated to local queer and gender-expansive organizations in Alexis Erlynmeyer’s name, extending her legacy into the community she loved.

Thank you for believing in this vision, for showing up with so much care, and for helping ensure Alexis is remembered with honesty, dignity, and love.

With gratitude,

Moon