In memory of Brandon Teena on Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Here is an article recounting Brandon’s tragic death on the 20th anniversary of the event, December 31, 2013.
Being a transgender man that was born and raised in Nebraska, and continues to live in this state, I thought I’d share a little excerpt from my book regarding my reflections of him and being transgender in Nebraska.
“Brandon’s story tends to choke me up each time I recount the details. I know that myself, or any other transman living in Nebraska, in the early 1990s, could have been in Brandon’s place. If Lincoln had been the city then—that it is today—I believe Brandon would have stayed and lived a life that reflected his identity. I believe he would have hung out with the other guys in the community, and would have worked as a mentor for those who were early in their transition. He may have even attended the support groups that I previously facilitated for transmen, and shared with the group members his transition experience, goals, and dreams.
Instead, I stand in front of audiences or sit behind a computer screen and share the stories I’ve read relating to his horrific last weeks on this planet.
Every day I spend with my friends in the transgender community, I imagine Brandon sitting there alongside us. When I imagine him alive, I see a man in his forties, instead of stopping at age twenty-one. I know I am one of the fortunate ones, and I feel lucky to have the connections that I do with other people in the community. Brandon was a trailblazer who blossomed before Nebraska was equipped to provide him with support. He wasn’t the first, nor will he be the last, trailblazer for the community.”
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