Chevranna Abdi, shown in an old photo from a Toronto Pride event, passed away in 2003. On International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated every March 31, friends and supporters honor her memory. (Photo submitted to CBC by Monica Forrester)
March 31 marks International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to honor transgender individuals and raise awareness of the challenges they face. For many, this day is a time to remember and celebrate the lives of transgender people. One such person is Chevranna Abdi, a transgender woman from Hamilton who tragically died in 2003 after a police interaction. Her friends and community members are speaking out to ensure her story is remembered for the person she truly was.
Monica Forrester, a close friend of Abdi, recalls her as a caring and beautiful woman who was always ready to help other transgender women. They met in the 1990s in Toronto, where both were part of a tight-knit community of transgender women who supported one another in a world where their biological families often didn’t. Forrester remembers Abdi as someone who “gave her heart on her sleeve.”
Abdi was from a Somali background, and her family didn’t accept her identity as a transgender woman. She sought a chosen family among other trans people, especially within the community in Toronto. Abdi and Forrester also worked in street-based sex work, which was a part of their lives at the time.
Chevranna Abdi’s death came after a call to Hamilton police regarding a woman wielding a knife. Officers arrived at her apartment building and carried Abdi down several flights of stairs. The coroner’s inquest reported her cause of death as "gastric aspiration from cocaine poisoning," but there was no mention of police action contributing to her death. Witnesses, however, testified that officers seemed fatigued and let go of her legs while carrying her, leaving her face down. Police confirmed there was no evidence that their actions played a role in her passing.
Abdi was only 27 years old when she died. Forrester and others who knew Abdi want her story to be remembered for her humanity and kindness, not for the stigmatizing coverage she received at the time. “She was a staple in the community,” Forrester said, emphasizing that despite her struggles, Abdi helped and supported many people.
Jelena Vermilion, the executive director of the Sex Workers Action Program in Hamilton, has worked to ensure Abdi’s story is not forgotten. Vermilion said she was struck by how Abdi’s story was written in the past. The language used was “disgusting” and “dehumanizing.” Vermilion, who is transgender, feels that Abdi’s story could easily have been her own. “Her story breaks my heart,” she said. Vermilion hopes for the case to be reopened, so Abdi’s bravery and courage can be recognized.
In Hamilton, many advocates, including Cole Gately, who has been active in the city’s LGBTQ+ community since the 1990s, also stress the importance of remembering stories like Abdi’s. Gately, who works with the Michael Johnstone 2SLGBTQ+ Community Archive, believes that recognizing the struggles of past generations helps us understand how far we’ve come—and how far we still need to go.
Racialized transgender people, particularly those in Black communities, face extra challenges. Kojo Damptey, an anti-racism advocate, spoke about how Abdi’s story highlights the danger Black people, especially transgender women, face in interactions with police. Damptey’s remarks reflect a wider issue of violence and disregard for the lives of Black people, a problem that continues to plague many communities.
Chevranna Abdi’s life and death remind us of the struggles faced by transgender individuals, particularly within marginalized communities. As we remember her on Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor her memory and the courage she showed in a world that often failed to see her humanity.
