Vigils will be held this weekend in Inverness and Aberdeen to pay tribute to transgender teenager Brianna Ghey.
Brianna, a 16-year-old trans girl, was found stabbed and bleeding on a path in Culcheth, Cheshire, on Saturday February 11.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
She was described by her family as a “much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister”.
In the days following her death, a boy and girl, both aged 15, were charged in connection with the incident.
To pay tribute and to honour the “strong and fearless” Brianna Ghey, several vigils are planned across the UK, including in Aberdeen and Inverness.
Organisers in Aberdeen want to offer people a chance to come together and mourn her death and “remember all those lost to bigotry, hatred and/or violence”.
The Aberdeen vigil will be held on Saturday February 18, at 5pm outside Marischal College where people can light a candle in Ms Ghey’s memory.
Organiser, Guy Ingerson, said: “When we heard the news of Brianna’s murder, it was devastating. To learn of someone so young having their life snatched away like this, it is horrifying.
‘This needs to stop before more people get hurt’
“Whilst we don’t know the full circumstances surrounding her death, we do know the context in which her death has taken place.
“Hate crimes directed towards LGBT+ people continue to rise, with bullying, abuse and even assault becoming more frequent.
“Some prominent figures have been relentless in spreading fear and hate towards trans people, and the wider LGBT+ community more generally.
“This needs to stop before more people get hurt. All of us are thinking of Brianna’s loved ones at this time.”
A similar event is being held in Falcon Square in the centre of Inverness at noon.
Stephen Doyle, a committee member of Highland Pride, says the death of Brianna Ghey has “all the hallmarks of the type of transphobic abuse seen regularly these days”.
Mr Doyle is responsible for helping create LGBT+ safe spaces in Inverness, including a weekly group called Inverness Kiki Family.
“Understandably, there has been a huge outpouring of grief across the country, with candlelit vigils spontaneously occurring in over 30 cities.
“I think it speaks to the growth, and increasing engagement and visibility of the LGBT+ community in the Highlands and Inverness, that the community here have also called for and planned a vigil.”
Conversation