The Bel-Air neighborhood of Maryland was thrown into mourning on December 27, 2023. It was the day Meghan Riley Lewis, a trans woman, died.
Lewis was more than just the regular woman across the street. She was special. She was a shining light, a “sparkle” in the lives of those who knew her.
Lewis would sign off her text messages and emails with two words – “Stay sparkly.” Those words captured her life view. She was super-optimistic, happy, energetic, and selfless. She dedicated her life to making others happy.
As a transgender woman, she did whatever she could to ensure that fellow trans persons felt loved and cared for. She supported the Baltimore Safe Haven, a Non-Profit organization founded to give LGBTQ+ persons a better life with food, money, and her time. Safe Haven is the only full-service housing and wellness center for LGBTQ+ in Maryland.
Also Read: Ten-Year-Old Transgender Girl Condemns Ohio Trans Care Ban
Iya Dammons, the executive director and founder of Baltimore Safe Haven, became one of Lewis’s closest friends. “Megan was sparkly,” Dammons testified. “She made sure our kids were able to have a Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, whatever they needed to smile,” she further explained.
Dammons recounted how Lewis wasted no time in extending a helping hand to the organization as soon as it came on board in 2018.
As a friend, Lewis was exceptionally caring. Dammons recalled how Lewis stood by her when she underwent gender reassignment surgery.
Besides her company, Lewis provided Dammons with advice and encouragement. Lewis also ensured that Dammons never ran out of groceries during the period.
Lewis died after she was shot by a man delivering food in her neighborhood. Her alleged killer, Brian Michael Delen, 47, will face murder, assault, and weapons charges.
POLL—Should Laws Be Enacted To Protect LGBTQ+ Individuals From Workplace Discrimination?
Lewis truly made a lasting impact on her community. Little wonder her death came as a rude shock and a big blow to everyone.
Dammons and the LGBTQ+ community weren’t the only ones who tasted Lewis’s kindness and selflessness. Virtually everyone in the community had great memories of their encounter with her. One of those is Baltimore Banner reporter Clara Longo de Freitas.
Clara was searching for a Christmas story on Facebook when she stumbled upon Lewis’s humanitarian activities. Lewis was offering free meals and companionship to “some of my fellow queers who need to be fed and loved.”
Clara couldn’t help but notice the elaborate preparation and thoughtfulness that Lewis put into the program.
“This is true community love and kindness towards strangers,” Clara declared. Once Lewis found that Clara, a native of Brazil, would be spending her first Baltimore Christmas alone, she sent her an invitation.
Also Read: Connecticut Girls Set Up 2024 Legal Battle Against Trans Participation in Sports
Lewis greeted the reporter in her native Portuguese and promised to make Brazilian foods available at the occasion. Although Clara didn’t attend the event, Lewis’s heart of love isn’t easy to forget.
Lewis’s death attracted lots of sympathy on the internet from people who heard about her incredible life of devotion to those in need. However, for Lewis to die just two days after she hosted the holiday dinner brought tears to the eyes of many.
Her death has inspired others to show more care for the LGBTQ+ community and to humanity at large. Lewis is gone, but her sparkle will remain in Bel-Air.
You Might Also Like This:
National Park Service Sparks Criticism Over Plans to Remove William Penn Statue
Court Documents Name Jeffrey Epstein Associates Publicly
Philadelphia Accuses Residents Refusing Vaccines of Fueling Measles Outbreak
New York Attorney General Calls for $370 Million Fine Against Trump
Attorney Claims Medical Negligence Caused Death of Former US Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
