Hitchin: Vigil held for Brianna Ghey was 'very hard to sit with'

Members of the LGBT community in Hitchin came together to remember Brianna on Saturday, February 18. 

Kerrie Portman, organiser of the vigil and director of North Herts Pride, said: “The vigil made it more real.  

“That's a hard emotion to sit with but when tragedy happens, people can't sit with the negative emotions, instead they bury their heads in the sand, that lets it happen again. 

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“A lot of people who hide from tragedy do it because they can and are privileged enough to be able to do so.  

“It fosters a breeding ground for transphobia, homophobia and hatred. It lets it escalate. And then people get hurt and die and that's not OK.  

One of the posters brought to the vigil on Saturday. (Image: Kerrie Portman)

“That's never OK and that should not need to be said.” 

Brianna was a 16-year-old transgender girl who was killed in Warrington on Saturday, February 11. Two 15-year-olds have been charged with murder. 

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She added: “Brianna Ghey should still be alive.  

"A harder thing to sit with is that the reality is we are not always safe.  

“We are not always safe to be ourselves.  

“We are not always free of bullying, harassment, abuse, assault and murder.  

“It is a very sad time, not just for our community, but for society. I’m glad we could come together.”