Rita Hester (22 March 1964 – 28 November 1998) was a transgender African American woman who was murdered in Allston (Boston), Massachusetts, on November 28, 1998.[1]

Hester was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1964. She moved to Boston in her early twenties and became involved in the local rock community.[2]

Hester was murdered on November 28th, 1998 in her home.[3] In response to her murder, an outpouring of grief and anger led to a candlelight vigil held the following Friday (December 4th) in which about 250 people participated. The vigil was led by Rev. Irene Monroe.[3] The community struggle to see Rita's life and identity covered respectfully by local papers, including the Boston Herald and Bay Windows, was chronicled by Nancy Nangeroni.[4] Her death also inspired the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and the Transgender Day of Remembrance,[5] founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999.

The city of Boston commissioned artist Rixy to paint a mural memorializing Hester in Allston.[6] The mural was completed in July 2022.[7]

R. Lopez the author of, The Hub of the Gay Universe: An LGBTQ History of Boston, Provincetown, and Beyond. includes several quotes from people who knew her: “Rita Hester was statuesque and glamorous.  Usually clad in her favorite colors, black and purple, perhaps in a slinky tube dress adorned with ruffles, she was a familiar figure both at Allston bars such as the Model Cafe and the Silhoutte Lunge and at Jacque’s Cabaret.”  Another friend fondly remembered that Hester “liked to wear opera-length gloves with rings on top, big pieces of costume jewelry” p.283

References

  1. ^ 'Remembering Rita Hester' Archived 2013-01-15 at the Wayback Machine November 15, 2008, Edge Boston
  2. ^ "'Everybody knew Rita': Decades later, still no answers in slaying of Black trans woman". NBC News. 2020-07-15. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  3. ^ a b Riedel, Samantha (2022-03-31). "Remembering Rita Hester, Who Changed What It Means to Remember Trans Lives". Them. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  4. ^ Nancy Nangeroni (1999-02-01). "Rita Hester's Murder and the Language of Respect". Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  5. ^ Irene Monroe (2010-11-19). "Remembering Trans Heroine Rita Hester". Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  6. ^ McQuaid, Cate (April 26, 2022). "In Rixy's world, cardboard beats canvas and the femmes are fierce - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  7. ^ "Mural Installed Honoring Rita Hester in Allston | Boston.gov". www.boston.gov. 2022-06-22. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
Allikas: Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Hester
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