Help Find Murderer of Florida Transgender Woman
Donation protected
“This terrifying rash of anti-transgender murders in Florida over a short period of time has spread fear throughout the transgender community,” Equality Florida press release reported in Watermark Online Sept 19, 2018
“The spike in violence against trans and gender non-conforming people is a “terrifying pattern.” - Orlando Weekly - Jul 23, 2018
It’s time to shake the tree! Sasha Garden was found murdered July 19, 2018. Sasha was a transgender woman. Her murderer is still at large. There have been five transgender women murdered in Florida this year. We have to find the people responsible. We need to add pressure. It’s time to shake the tree.
Crimeline of Central Florida has a reward of up to $5,000 for anyone with information that leads to the arrest of a suspect. We want to double the reward for a total of $10,000 so we want to raise at least another $5,000.
All of your donations will go to that goal. A sponsor has stepped forward to pay fees for processing all donations up to $10,000 (saving about $300). Amounts over $5,000 raised will be used to match similar rewards in Central Florida first, then other parts of Florida.
Ultimately, we want to create a system that can be expanded to or copied in other jurisdictions to double the rewards offered for every transgender murder victim in the country. This is our first step. We think that goal is very doable with the participation of donors like you. The money you donate will go directly to that cause. If this effort is successful, we will form a nonprofit to continue fundraising efforts here in Florida and across the nation, as long as needed.
For more information about Transgender Awareness Week and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we’ve added links below. You may be able to get better local data for events using your browser search function.
“Transgender Awareness Week, typically observed the second week of November, is a one-week celebration leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which memorializes victims of transphobic violence. TDOR occurs annually on November 20, when transgender advocates raise awareness of the transgender community through education and advocacy activities... The purpose of Transgender Awareness Week is to educate about transgender and gender non-conforming people and the issues associated with their transition or identity.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_Awareness_Week
“Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed in late November in recognition of the 1998 murder of Rita Hester. Rita was a highly visible member of the transgender community in her native Boston, MA where she worked locally on education around transgender issues. On Saturday, Nov. 28, Rita was stabbed 20 times in her apartment. A neighbor called the police, and Rita was rushed to the hospital. She passed away from cardiac arrest only moments after being admitted. Almost two decades later, police still have not found Rita’s murderer (or murderers). In 1999, one year after Rita’s murder, advocate and writer Gwendolyn Ann Smith coordinated a vigil in Rita’s honor. The vigil commemorated not only Rita, but all who were tragically lost to anti-transgender violence.
In addition to the vigil, Smith launched the Transgender Day of Remembrance website to recognize and remember those whose lives have been lost to anti-transgender violence. Organizations throughout the world — from Groupe Activiste Trans in Paris to Human Rights Commission of Tel Aviv in Israel to Diritti in Movimiento in Pescara, Italy — have since taken to recognizing the day. Media coverage of Transgender Day of Remembrance often includes documenting lives lost to violence, as well as expounding on the all too frequent harassment, discrimination, and disenfranchisement transgender people experience on a regular basis.”
https://www.glaad.org/publications/tdorkit
“The spike in violence against trans and gender non-conforming people is a “terrifying pattern.” - Orlando Weekly - Jul 23, 2018
It’s time to shake the tree! Sasha Garden was found murdered July 19, 2018. Sasha was a transgender woman. Her murderer is still at large. There have been five transgender women murdered in Florida this year. We have to find the people responsible. We need to add pressure. It’s time to shake the tree.
Crimeline of Central Florida has a reward of up to $5,000 for anyone with information that leads to the arrest of a suspect. We want to double the reward for a total of $10,000 so we want to raise at least another $5,000.
All of your donations will go to that goal. A sponsor has stepped forward to pay fees for processing all donations up to $10,000 (saving about $300). Amounts over $5,000 raised will be used to match similar rewards in Central Florida first, then other parts of Florida.
Ultimately, we want to create a system that can be expanded to or copied in other jurisdictions to double the rewards offered for every transgender murder victim in the country. This is our first step. We think that goal is very doable with the participation of donors like you. The money you donate will go directly to that cause. If this effort is successful, we will form a nonprofit to continue fundraising efforts here in Florida and across the nation, as long as needed.
For more information about Transgender Awareness Week and the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we’ve added links below. You may be able to get better local data for events using your browser search function.
“Transgender Awareness Week, typically observed the second week of November, is a one-week celebration leading up to Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), which memorializes victims of transphobic violence. TDOR occurs annually on November 20, when transgender advocates raise awareness of the transgender community through education and advocacy activities... The purpose of Transgender Awareness Week is to educate about transgender and gender non-conforming people and the issues associated with their transition or identity.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_Awareness_Week
“Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed in late November in recognition of the 1998 murder of Rita Hester. Rita was a highly visible member of the transgender community in her native Boston, MA where she worked locally on education around transgender issues. On Saturday, Nov. 28, Rita was stabbed 20 times in her apartment. A neighbor called the police, and Rita was rushed to the hospital. She passed away from cardiac arrest only moments after being admitted. Almost two decades later, police still have not found Rita’s murderer (or murderers). In 1999, one year after Rita’s murder, advocate and writer Gwendolyn Ann Smith coordinated a vigil in Rita’s honor. The vigil commemorated not only Rita, but all who were tragically lost to anti-transgender violence.
In addition to the vigil, Smith launched the Transgender Day of Remembrance website to recognize and remember those whose lives have been lost to anti-transgender violence. Organizations throughout the world — from Groupe Activiste Trans in Paris to Human Rights Commission of Tel Aviv in Israel to Diritti in Movimiento in Pescara, Italy — have since taken to recognizing the day. Media coverage of Transgender Day of Remembrance often includes documenting lives lost to violence, as well as expounding on the all too frequent harassment, discrimination, and disenfranchisement transgender people experience on a regular basis.”
https://www.glaad.org/publications/tdorkit
Organizer
Steve Roberts
Organizer
Winter Park, FL
