MIAMI (WSVN) - A concerned community came together to pay tribute to two transgender people who were killed this month in different parts of South Florida.
Dozens of people showed their support at the Torch of Friendship in downtown Miami, Saturday.
Participants lay down flowers as they mourned the deaths of Andrea Doria Dos Passos and Tee “Lagend Billions” Arnold.
According to police, Dos Passos was beaten to death in Miami Beach on Tuesday morning, and Billions was shot in Hallandale Beach on April 3.
Jasmine McKenzie, founder of The McKenzie Project, said Lagend was one of the organization’s clients.
“I saw the growth in what Lagend had going on. It was such a beautiful thing,” she said.
Investigators said Billions, a transgender man, was attacked by two people and shot in the head.
Miami Beach Police said Dos Passos, a transgender woman who was experiencing homelessness, was sleeping outside Miami City Ballet when she was struck repeatedly with a metal pipe.
Participants in the memorial said the victims’ names out loud.
“Say her name: Andrea Dos Passos,” they chanted
“That could have been one of us. I’m standing in solidarity with a reflection of myself,” said Camille Lewis, executive director of ColorNRaw, an organization dedicated to supporting Black TLGBQ+ youth.
Though many people attending the memorial didn’t know the two victims, the heartbreak hit close to home.
“That is what you call unity. That’s what you call community. That is how you stand in solidarity with the trans community. That’s what true allyship looks like,” said Lewis.
The McKenzie Project is dedicated to bringing attention to homelessness in South Florida, as they work to create their own housing programs dedicated to trans people.
“Almost every trans person here in South Florida either faced homelessness or they are homeless, and we don’t have nowhere to go. We don’t have a shelter or a housing program that we can go to,” said McKenzie.
Fifty-three-year-old Gregory Gibert was arrested and charged in the killing of Dos Passos. A second-degree murder charge was later upgraded to first-degree murder.
Hallandale Beach Police said they are still searching for the subjects who attacked Billions.
If you have any information on Billions’ shooting or the subjects’ whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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