In Memoriam
Kassim Omar
Seattle, WA
Kassim loved to dance and would perform at weddings back in Somalia for her family. It was what she looked forward to the most in life, even as she studied at the University of Nairobi and after she moved to Columbus, Ohio. She continued dancing for as long as she could, even as she went on long car rides and blasting her favorite artists from the stereo. Dancing and, later, the dream of dancing again kept her going on through both the good and rough times of her life.
Liam Johns
Charlotte, NC
Liam and his husband wanted a family, so much that Liam became pregnant himself. He became famous for carrying his daughter to term and became the subject of a series from the Charlotte Observer. The couple had another child four years later to 'complete' the happy family they always wanted, but never ran out of love for other family they chose. Liam also used his name recognition to bring attention to the joys and complications behind trans pregnancies while also addressing issues affecting other Native people like him. He loved his community, his city, and especially his family with his whole heart.
Mahdia Lynn
Chicago, IL
Mahdia worked hard to make the world a safer and fairer place, especially for marginalized Muslims. She co-founded and was the director of Masjid Al-Rabia in Chicago, a women-centered and trans+-affirming mosque. She built a community focused on radical inclusion, advocating for and helping LGBTQ Muslims that felt unwelcome and unsafe in other spaces. Her mosque created and distributed care packages and send letters to those who were incarcerated. When she had free time, she also loved raising bunnies and playing the musical saw.
Even when unable to come to the office, she was always there in spirit and disrupting the idea that being in person was the only way to get things done. “My efforts to change the world for the better are a drop in the well. But a monsoon is nothing more than a hundred million tiny drops together in unison, shifting the tides and moving mountains as one unstoppable force.”
Cass Trystero
Bellingham, WA
“For it was this mixture in her of man and woman, one being uppermost and then the other, that often gave her conduct an unexpected turn.” - Virginia Woolf
Cass was a poet whose favorite book was Virginia Woolf's Orlando, fitting to how they felt about their journey in self-discovery. They also appreciated the ethereal and the strange, a fan of Thomas Pynchon's novels, the music of Joy Division, and the films of Andrei Tarkovsky. They attended the celebrated Iowa Writer’s Workshop and taught creative writing at several colleges throughout the San Francisco area. Their poetry has been published in numerous journals and magazines during the last 30 years, with their newest work being published in The Bennington Review. Cass traveled all over the United States to provide readings. Their poetry allowed them to find those unexpected turns and to let the unexpected find them in return.
Chilli Pepper
Chicago, IL
A Chicago icon, Chilli Pepper was a true trailblazer. Nicknamed the “Bionic Woman,” Chilli began gaining renown in the 1970s by winning the 1974 Miss Chicago title and later the inaugural Miss Continental Pageant in 1980. Following her wins, she became a media fixture and appeared on numerous shows throughout the 1980s and 1990s such as Oprah, Donahue, and Jenny Jones, using those appearances to further mainstream awareness of HIV/AIDS. She was also a mainstay in the Chicago nightlife scene at the Baton Nightclub, performing each night and crafting herself like an artist. She considered her outside persona as a “cartoon” but also showed an impressive confidence. She was considered “soulful, unapologetic, and disinterested in anyone else’s judgement,” according to a Vice interview. She knew who she was and wasn’t afraid to let the rest of the world know it.
Barbie Iceland “Redd China”
Chicago, IL
Barbie’s personality was fitting for someone who’s favorite rapper is Nicki Minaj: bold and vivacious. She even took her name in honor of Minaj’s persona and had it tattooed on her face, often making it a challenge for her friends to put makeup on her. She was truly unapologetic about being her true self. Her loved ones found her full of life, intensely loyal to those she loved, and forgiving as she never held a grudge. Barbie had plans to start her own business selling beauty products, since makeup and nails were another passion of hers. She was immensely loved.
According to one friend, “she wanted to be loved and respected. That’s how she was. That’s one thing she didn’t play about. She loved and respected people.”
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