Brianna Ghey: Radio stations to hold minute’s silence in memory of trans girl killed in park
Brianna Ghey’s classmates marked what would have been her 17th birthday this week. (GoFundMe)
Pro-LGBTQ+ radio stations across the UK will pay touching tribute to trans girl Brianna Ghey with an on-air minute’s silence.
Ghey, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, was stabbed to death in a park in Warrington on Saturday (11 February). Two teenagers, both aged 15, have been charged with murder.
The move was announced by dedicated LGBTQ+ radio station Gaydio, which will be joined by Hits Radio Pride, Pride Radio, Gorgeous Radio, Glitterbeam Radio, Trans Radio UK and Juice 1038 for the tribute at 11am on Friday (17 February).
The stations will also broadcast a package by trans activist Stephanie Hirst after the silence during which she will reflect on the societal injustices that trans people face on a daily basis.
“We felt it important to work across the LGBTQ+ radio sector, showing that, as a community, we stand together against hate,” Gaydio’s network content manager, Kriss Herbert-Noble, told PinkNews.
“Trans people face daily challenges, and our role is to stand up and highlight these stories and voices.
“This event in particular has reverberated across the community and it’s right we take a stand and remember the life of a bright, young trans person.”
The announcement of the minute’s silence comes as hundreds and thousands of mourners take to the streets this week to remember Brianna Ghey at candle-lit vigils across the UK and beyond.
Vigils taking place this week include several in London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin and Cambridge.
Vigils in Liverpool and Bristol already took place on Tuesday (14 February) just a day after news broke of Ghey’s death.
An attendee told The Guardian: “I’m sad and angry. Sad that we need to be here, angry that we are here.
“But it feels inevitable. The media’s hostility towards trans people has led to this and we are in a position where the government knows what it needs to do but it doesn’t care.”
A GoFundMe in support of Brianna Ghey’s family was created shortly after news of the killing had emerged, which has raised over £92,500 at the time of reporting.
In a statement, her parents said: “She was a larger-than-life character, who would leave a lasting impression on all [who] met her.
“Brianna was beautiful, witty, and hilarious. The loss of her young life has left a massive hole, and we know that teachers and friends who were involved in her life will feel the same.”
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