In Memoriam

Natalia Skye

Marikina, Philippines and Kentwood, LA

Natalia left the United States for love, moving to the Philippines to be with her wife. She gave up everything familiar from growing up in Louisiana and threw herself into a whole new culture to become her true self. For most people that would be insurmountable, but for Natalia it was an act of bravery she took to be exactly where she wanted.

Teddy Reese Curran

Stow, OH

Teddy supported those in his life with mental health issues and advocated on their behalf. For some of them, he was one of the only people who would believe and fight for them when they were assaulted or injustice was done. While serious about helping, he also laughed and goofed off at ungodly hours. He was the best kind of "partner in crime" anyone could ask for.

Erick Krouse

Clifton, ME

Erick was a devoted and loving family man who traveled around and made friends wherever he went. Originally involved with enhancing community engagement and social integration for youth and adults in crisis throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Erick and his wife eventually settled in Bangor, Maine with their two children to be closer to her large and amazingly supportive family. Once there, he enjoyed taking hikes, being surrounded by nature, and spending the most time with his wife and children in their cozy home. Fitting for the man who wrote:

“I think one of my favorite things about fall is how the trees become individuals. when i walk out into the field each morning, i can smile at each one and acknowledge its peace. it fills me.”

Noah Jackson Chase

Charlotte, NC

Noah served Airborne in the US Army but being there never made him hard or unkind. He was a friend to everyone he met and those in the Charlotte trans+ community valued his sage advice and generous spirit. They especially remember his love of music (The Carpenters, Bread, and Kelly Clarkson were favorites), long and funny conversations, and having a knack for pairing the right cats with the right owners.

Ellie Walsh

Madison, OH

Considered a top intel Airman during her time in service, Ellie was considered by her peers as someone “who was willing to go the extra mile to accomplish the mission.” Others remember her as one of their all-time favorite local Starbucks baristas and as an “amazingly kind soul.” For her wife, she was a great travel partner and devoted mom to their cat Kestral. Ellie is going to be missed by those she knew.

Nex Benedict

Owasso, OK

Nex was a firecracker of a personality. For someone short in stature, their mischievous sense of self and their artistic talent were amazingly outsized. “Roach,” as their friends called them, was capable of whipping up masterpieces within thirty minutes during art class and had an admirable boldness. “They were always someone who was never afraid to be who they are,” one of their best friends remembered. “It was like wherever they went, you were going to accept them, and if you didn’t, that was your problem, and they were going to make it your problem.” An 8th grade teacher recalled that same attitude fondly, as Nex would sometimes challenge him to “fights” over “cartoonishly absurd things.” That impishness was balanced by their devotion to their grandmother and sisters, along with a love of cooking. As their grandmother said, “it was never really a dull moment with them.”

Emma “África” Parrilla García

San Juan, PR

Emma advocated for better treatment of the homeless trans+ community and the community at large in Puerto Rico. She especially focused on housing and food security, including independent farmers trying to eke out sustenance for themselves and those they love. Even when she herself was un-housed and food-insecure, she didn't leave others behind. She believed in dismantling and changing systems that she said that left people so suffocated from surviving that they were too exhausted to grow or remember to build community between each other. In spite of all this, she still saw the beauty in life and in others.

Blakely Hanson

Denver, CO

One thing that hadn’t changed for Blake when she became her authentic self was fixing up cars. Along with the new Doc Martens, the make-up, and an IKEA shark stuffie looking on, it’s not hard to picture her working on those “Frankenstein” vehicles (as her sisters called them) with her wife and smiling while getting auto grease on her dress. According to those same sisters, most of her relationships only grew stronger when she transitioned, especially the love between in her marriage. While they always had been bold and beautiful, she became doubly-so when she got to be herself around those she loved.

Righteous TK “Chevy” Hill

Atlanta, GA

Chevy ran the barbershop Evollusion, Atlanta’s only barbershop catering to the local LGBTQIA+ community. There for those who always had trouble finding a good haircut that matched their identity while providing a safe space too, Chevy had you covered. He made sure you got what you wanted without any fuss or intrusive questions and with his natural gift for both barbering and excellent customer service.

Outside of the barbershop, Chevy carried the same attitude into the wider world. A towering presence physically, a friend recalled that on first meeting “he spoke powerfully, quickly and directly to what he needed and wanted; he was headstrong and played zero games.” Those who knew him directly often recall him a genuinely kind person, loving and encouraging. He also went out of his way to support the larger Atlanta trans community and worked alongside organizations dedicated to helping make life better for those in need.

Ashton Myles Clatterbuck

Lancaster, PA

Ashton hardly ever took a photo alone. Whether with his loving family, cuddling with any (and every) animal, or standing with his community, Ashton knew how to surround himself with what mattered. For a person as young as he was, Ashton left behind an impressive body of work. Writing prolifically both for LNP/LancasterOnline and his own Medium, he wove words into narrative with a fierce clarity; his readers were led to understand trans rights without any ambiguity and to counter hateful rhetoric. As time went on, he expanded his scope to cover everything from pipeline protests to the dangers of campaign financing. His articles also painted a picture of other aspects of his well-lived life: his omnivorous reading habits, his mental stamina built up from marathon training, his fast wit. He left a considerable mark on his community and on the wider world outside of Lancaster through his writing and willingness to passionately stand up for what was right.

Madison Nicole Spann “Madison St. Claire”

New York, NY

Aunt Maddy to those who knew her, Madison was never stopped devoting her life to advocating those who needed a fighter in their corner. She co-founded the Trans Women Of Color Collective (TWOCC), dedicated to improving the lives of trans people everywhere. Her desire and demand for justice and freedom drove her to advocate especially for health and housing services and imparting well-earned wisdom through her Aunt Maddy talks on Facebook. While she spent most of that time fighting against injustice, she also found time to be an entertainer in New York City and love on her pitbull puppy. She laid the groundwork to a legacy of empowerment through compassion.

Cecilia Gentili

Brooklyn, NY

When she left South America for Miami, Cecilia started a journey that would create a better world for all of us. It was in New York City where she truly established herself, gaining prominence as an advocate for both trans rights and sex workers, bringing her life experiences to her activism and demanding respect for both groups. She co-founded both the free clinic at New York’s Callen-Lorde Community Health Center and the organization DecrimNY, which focuses on decriminalizing sex work and was key to the repeal of the infamous “Walking while trans” law in 2019. From activism, she translated that success into more creative endeavors beginning with her comedic one-woman show “The Knife Cuts Both Ways”. From there, she worked her way into a recurring role on the drama “Pose” and published an award-winning memoir “Faltas.” To quote GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, Cecilia showed “the power of one person who used her identity and gifts to help more people be seen and heard.”