Sea of pink as mourners celebrate life of trans teen Brianna Ghey
Mourners wearing pink have gathered for the funeral of trans teenager Brianna Ghey, who was fatally stabbed in Warrington, Cheshire, last month.
The 16-year-old’s death launched a wave of grief and anger across the country, with vigils being held from Aberdeen to Hastings on Valentine’s Day.
It also sparked calls for more support and better protections for young trans people, as friends said the teen had been bullied ‘for years’ due to her identity.
After initially saying there was no evidence she was the victim of a hate crime, Cheshire Police later confirmed they were treating it as a possible line of inquiry.
Attendees at today’s funeral in Warrington were asked to wear pink, Brianna’s favourite colour.
Her pink coffin was transported to Elphin’s Parish Church in a white carriage, drawn by a pair of horses wearing pink feather plumes.
Supporters holding transgender flags watched the cortege go past on the road to the venue.
One mourner was pictured wearing a T-shirt featuring an image of the teenager and the message ‘Rest in Power’ – a refrain seen and heard frequently at last month’s vigils.
Brianna was found with fatal stab wounds in Linear Park in Culcheth, Warrington, just after 3pm on February 11.
A boy and a girl, both aged 15, appeared in court charged with the killing of the 16-year-old a few days later.
Chester Magistrates’ Court set a trial date for July.
An inquest into Brianna’s death was opened briefly on March 8 before being adjourned until after the trial.
At the two-minute hearing, Detective Inspector Nigel Parr, the senior investigating officer for the incident from Cheshire Police, said she had been found ‘unresponsive’ by members of the public in the park.
On International Women’s Day last week, Labour MP Jess Phillips made a special mention of Brianna while listing the names of women who had been killed in the past year, where the primary suspect or known killer is a man.
The inclusion led to a large amount of transphobic comments being left on Phillips’ social media channels.
However, there has also been an outpouring of support – including from her local rugby club Warrington Wolves, who paid tribute with black armbands in their first match following her death.
Danny Walker, the club’s number 16 and official knife-crime ambassador, also wore a warm-up shirt bearing Brianna’s name before the game.
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