NCAVP mourns the death of Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old white non-binary person in Seattle

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NCAVP mourns the death of Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old white non-binary person killed during a Black Lives Matter protest in Seattle. Summer was struck by a car that sped down a barricaded freeway where organizers were marching – the driver has since been arrested and is being charged for the assault.

Summer worked full-time at an animal clinic in Seattle, and used they/them pronouns. Family, friends, and coworkers of Summer remember them fondly for their love of animals, activism and spirit. “They were always the first one to call people out for being sexist, racist — standing up for queer and trans people, basically anyone who needed to be stood up for,” recalls one colleague. “Anyone that works for Urban Animal will tell you that Summer Taylor’s laugh makes any bad day better,” says another.

A GoFundMe, originally set up to cover medical costs for Summer before they passed, has raised over $80,000 for her family – organizers are determining how to allocate the funds. There they wrote “Summer is an incredibly strong and independent spirit. They are a bright and caring person whose presence elicits joy and laughter in others.”

We know it can be hard to read these reports of violence against our communities. If you need support in these difficult times, you can always reach out to your local NCAVP member. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can reach our free bilngual national hotline at 212-714-1141 or report online for support.

NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.