I try very hard to honor spiritual ancestors as well as blood ancestors. This means honoring those who influenced me and those who made my life possible. It also means honoring a different kind of war-dead.
Yes, I said war.
Gay marriage is awesome and I'm thrilled it passed in my state, but there is still a war on LGBT folks around the world and here in the US. Especially trans people of color. We each do what we can, push the boundaries we're able to push, and hope tomorrow will be better.
For some folks, it doesn't get better. Some people have had the opportunity for better things taken from them, and all we can do is remember them and do everything in our power to make sure they did not die for nothing.
Tonight I whisper their names. Tonight they are remembered.
Let's make sure that tomorrow they are remembered, too.