Transgender Memorial Garden facts for kids
The Transgender Memorial Garden is a special place that remembers transgender people who have been hurt or killed because of hate and violence. It is located at 2800 Wyoming Street in the Benton Park West area of St. Louis, Missouri.
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How the Garden Started
The garden was first located at 1469 S. Vandeventer Avenue in The Grove neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Volunteers planted native Missouri trees and wildflowers there in late 2015. The main goal of the garden is to offer a peaceful spot. It helps people remember transgender lives lost to violence. It also celebrates the lives of transgender people.
Jaimie Hileman, who was the president of the St. Louis Metro Trans Umbrella Group (MTUG), said the garden is important. She explained it reminds us of those we've lost. It also shows hope for a better future in the city. This garden is thought to be the first in the United States. It is fully dedicated to remembering transgender people.
The idea for the garden came from Leon Braxton, Jr. He is a local chef and performer known as "Dieta Pepsi." He saw a social media post from Lewis E. Reed. Reed was the president of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. He encouraged people to plant trees for peace. This event was called "Plant4PeaceSTL." It was inspired by Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement. This movement helps people plant trees to create unity and improve communities.
Braxton thought this project would be great for the St. Louis transgender community. He contacted Reed's office to share his idea. He wanted to create a memorial or reflection park. A vacant lot was found in The Grove neighborhood. This area has many restaurants and LGBT-friendly places. Braxton hoped the garden would show that transgender people are normal. He wanted them to enjoy life without fear.
Jarek Steele, who owns Left Bank Books, heard about Braxton's idea. Steele is also a member of the Metro Trans Umbrella Group. The triangular lot was owned by the City of St. Louis and a local business. Both gave permission for the garden. Steele found a garden designer. He also organized volunteers. They cleaned the area and planted the garden.
Garden Design
Monte Abbott designed the Memorial Garden. He is a Missouri Master Gardener. Abbott's design tries to match the plants to the local weather. It also considers the garden's special purpose. The soil at the site was not very good at first. It had leftover materials from old buildings. The area is also windy and slopes downhill.
Abbott chose trees and plants that could handle these tough conditions. They would also need less care. The first plan included Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) trees. They were to run diagonally along Vandeventer Avenue. A bed of Missouri native wildflowers was planned for a triangular spot. Five rows of Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees were also planned. They would run across from the Redbuds.
Small groups of Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa) were planned for the corners. Other wildflower beds were designed for the edges of the garden. A curved path was planned. It would go from Hunt Avenue to the center of the garden.
The design used repeated rows of trees. This was to create a feeling of peace and balance. The specific trees and plants were chosen for their meaning. They represent the transgender experience. They are unique, sometimes overlooked, and beautiful in their own way. Native wildflowers were picked to attract butterflies. Butterflies change during their lives. This change symbolizes the transgender journey.
Redbuds are simple trees in summer. But they have bright yellow leaves in fall. They also have beautiful pink flowers in spring. Hackberry trees have bark that some might not find pretty. But their berries feed many birds and animals in winter. Devil's Walkingstick has thorny stems. Yet, it grows lovely white flowers in spring. Hackberry and Aralia are often not used in regular gardens. The original plan included nine Redbud trees, 17 Hackberry trees, and six Aralias.
Planting the Garden
Sixty-five volunteers planted the Memorial Garden. This happened on the morning of October 18, 2015. The site was mostly grass and weeds before planting. It had a few existing crabapple (Malus) trees. Volunteers trimmed these trees. They also added mulch to the garden beds. Then, they planted the new trees and wildflowers. They also cleared the ground for the curved path.
At the center of the wood-chip path, volunteers placed a small pile of stones. These stones were found while digging. Smaller stones were used to line the paths and flower beds. During the garden's dedication, Sayer Johnson spoke about these stones. He is the executive director of the Metro Trans Umbrella Group. He said reusing the site's materials was symbolic. It showed the transformation that happens in transgender people's lives. It represents moving from the gender they were assigned at birth to their true gender.
Jarek Steele, from Left Bank Books, made a wooden sign for the garden. The sign says "Transgender Memorial Garden Est. 2015." It also has a powerful phrase: "They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds." This quote comes from the poet Dinos Christianopoulos. The sign is at the northern edge of the garden, facing Hunt Avenue.
Later, three benches were given to the garden. These were donated by people and LGBTQ-owned businesses in St. Louis.
Garden Dedication
The Transgender Memorial Garden was officially opened on November 20, 2015. This date is known as Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day to remember transgender people who have died due to violence. About 50 people attended the ceremony. Local activists, musicians, and religious leaders spoke. Some well-known transgender people were also there. These included Kate Bornstein and Jennifer Finney Boylan. The dedication was filmed for a TV show. After the ceremony, a march took place. It went through The Grove neighborhood. It was led by the Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) group. A memorial service followed at a local church.
Vigil for Orlando Victims
On the evening of June 12, 2016, a vigil was held at the garden. This was to remember the victims of a mass shooting. The shooting happened earlier that day at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida. About 3,000 people marched to the garden. A candlelight vigil and rally took place. Speakers from the St. Louis LGBTQ community, faith leaders, and politicians shared words. The Gateway Men's Chorus also performed. In the days after, visitors left flowers, notes, and signs at the garden. These were tokens of remembrance.
Vigil for Kiwi Herring
A vigil was held at the garden on August 23, 2017. This was to remember Kiwi Herring. She was a transgender woman of color. She was reportedly the 18th transgender person killed in 2017. After the vigil, people marched in the streets. They gathered at an intersection in The Grove.
See also
In Spanish: Jardín Conmemorativo Transgénero para niños
- Transgender activism
- List of LGBT monuments and memorials
- List of unlawfully killed transgender people
- History of transgender people in the United States
