About 20 members of the MU community gathered Monday at the A.P. Green Chapel to honor the lives of those lost due to transgender-related violence.

“I commend all of you for the strength, honesty and courage it takes to honor those we have lost,” LGBTQ Resource Center coordinator Struby Struble said. “We are here to honor stories of our past, but also as a call to action to brighten the stories of our future.”

Throughout the vigil, various members of the LGBTQ Resource Center staff read stories of five people who had been killed in transgender-related violence in the past year.

One story told was about Coco Williams, a transgender woman from Detroit, Mich. Her friends described her as always being respectful of herself and of other people. She was found dead April 3 outside her apartment.

Another person remembered was Agnes Torres Hernandez. She was a transgender activist, psychologist and educator from Mexico. She disappeared after leaving her house to attend a party at a friend’s residence. She was found dead March 10 near Pueblo, Mexico. Those who found her said it was obvious she was tortured before her death. She was 23 years old.

A third story was shared about Rosita Hidalgo. She emigrated from Cuba to Miami, Fla. Soon after her move to the United States, she transitioned from male to female. Known for taking in homeless people and often sending money to her mother back in Cuba, Hidalgo was described by her friends as a well-loved and considerate person. She was found dead in her apartment April 15.

After these stories were shared, members of the audience were invited to come forward and share their stories of transgender-related violence. Then the participants went outside for a moment of silence to remember those they have lost.

In addition to members of the student community, staff members from the LGBTQ Resource Center and the MU Counseling Center were in attendance. Counseling Center psychologist Christy Hutton said this event has special importance for her.

“I’m not here because I have to be here — I’m here because I choose to be,” Hutton said. “We are here to demonstrate to the whole community that we care about each student, and that the problems that each and every student face are important and worthy.”

The event was held for a few reasons, said Mimi Martinez, a graduate student working at the LGBTQ Resource Center.

“To raise awareness, you know, about violence and hatred that happens against our trans brothers and sisters,” Martinez said. “And as a reminder to celebrate peoples’ lives — they were living in truth and how they wanted to live, and that’s beautiful.”