Transgender Day Of Remembrance To Be Held In Rockville

ROCKVILLE, MD — The 7th annual Montgomery County Maryland Transgender Day of Remembrance event will take place in Rockville from 4-6 p.m. this Sunday, Nov. 19. The event honors trans people who have been taken by transphobic violences, especially Zella Ziona and Keyonna Blakeney, who were black trans women murdered in Gaithersburg and Rockville in 2015 and 2016.

This free event will feature speakers, live music, a candlelight vigil and a reception with food and resources. Donations are invited to support local trans resources.

“It is more important than ever to create spaces for Montgomery County’s transgender residents and our allies to receive support, recommit to working to end transphobic violence, and understand how transphobia intersects with racism and other forms of oppression," Mycroft Masada, MoCo Pride Center and event co-chair, said in a statement.

The event will highlight Zella Ziona, who was a 21-years-old trans woman when she was shot to death behind the Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg on Oct. 15, 2015.

Rico LeBlond, 22, of Germantown was convicted for the murder in July 2017. Leblond and Ziona were friends, prosecutors said, but Leblond reportedly shot Ziona when she flirted with him in front of male friends.

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Keyonna Blakeney will also be remembered at the event. Blakeney, who was a 22-year-old trans woman, was found dead in a hotel room in Rockville on April 13, 2016. Keith C. Renier of Southeast was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing Blakeney.

The news release cited the first year of Trump's administration, stating: "Anti-LGBTQ incidents have increased in our county in the past year, as those who would express their bias through violence have felt emboldened by last November’s election and the first year of the new administration."

The event will be held at the Montgomery County, MD Executive Office Building in downtown Rockville at 101 Monroe St.

For more information, check out the event page here.

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