Brianna Ghey: hundreds attend vigil in Bournemouth

Many lit candles and laid them on the steps in the Triangle, in memory of the 16-year-old transgender girl who died last weekend.

Brianna was found by members of the public with fatal stab wounds near Warrington on Saturday, February 11.

Two teenagers, a boy and a girl both aged 15, have appeared in court charged with murder.

Around 300 people attended the moving event in Bournemouth.

Crowds heard from speakers from Bourne Free and Inclusive Community Church, who organised the vigil, after laying candles, flowers and signs on the steps.

Everyone gathered then sung “we are singing for our lives” in solidarity.

One attendee at the vigil said: “It was beautiful that such a large amount of people turned out to pay their respects to a beautiful soul who was taken too soon.”

Reverend Dwayne Morgan, from Inclusive Community Church, said the turnout showed the resolve of the community to drive change.

“We’re really pleased with such a large and good turnout for a very sad occasion,” Rev Morgan said.

“A time when people want to come together and need to be together, to mourn and to feel sad at the loss, a loss that’s so devastating.”

Neal Errington, from Bourne Free, said the community needed to show solidarity after last weekend’s tragic events.

“As much as we hate having to do things like this, it’s a very important part for us all to have to stand, to be as one, show solidarity, all in the same community,” Neal said.

“We’re all here to support each other.

“It shouldn’t be happening, but here we are. It’s just the state of the world that we’re living in.”

Chris Ashton, chair of the organisation, said the vigil showed the impact Brianna’s death had on the LGBTQ+ community across the country.

Chris said: “For us as a charity, it was really important to offer people a space that they could come and grieve together, and to think about the issues that have been raised as a result of Brianna’s death.

“I think we all agree that knife crime in the UK is out of control regardless of what community you are from, and also that transgender young adults are still going out and are under fear, and Brianna’s death just shows the extreme end of that.

“It’s such a loss of life.

“Transgender hate crimes went up by 54 per cent last year and it’s just not acceptable, we need to do something about it as a wider community, and that’s what today is the start of.”

Vigils have been taking place across the country, including Southampton and Weymouth this weekend.