A friend emailed me Tuesday morning to let me know a mutual friend of ours passed away.
Loss and grief don’t always signal their arrival in advance. We’ve all experienced the death of a loved one after a long illness. Losing someone without warning comes with sadness but also brings shock and disbelief.
“I just saw her,” I thought to myself. “She was just as feisty as ever.”
She was one of the first members of the MN T-Girls. She was older than I am and was very much a mentor to me. She had belonged to many of the now defunct crossdresser support groups in the Twin Cities over the years and helped grow the group in terms of outreach and events. She organized our booth’s registration and logistics for the annual Pride event. She was funny, smart, and helped every girl feel welcome for our events. She believed in having a group for people like us.
Our events, especially next year’s Pride, won’t be the same without her.
I have a lot of feelings and thoughts racing through my head and heart. Some of these emotions are related to the duality our lives can have and the uncertainty of who knew my friend’s gender identity/identities and avoiding outing her to people she knew.
But for now I just want to say that I miss her and I always will.
Love, Hannah
Hannah McKnight 
Hannah, my condolences on the loss of your friend. It’s always hard when one of our sisters (of whatever label) passes away, because this part of their life isn’t usually known to everyone who is mourning them. And we may not know their male name, so we don’t learn about their passing for a while (if at all). Cherish the memories you have of her, and I am sending you a virtual hug 🫂
Tina
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Hannah, so sorry for the loss of your friend.
May she rest peacefully
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My sincere condolences to you, Hannah, on your friend’s passing. I imagine she was a great mentor to you and your group.
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Hannah, it was indeed a shock when I heard the news. She has been there often, always helping, providing support and encouragement, and often providing a laugh. And a lot of valuable history. She will be missed by many.
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