(Photo Courtesy: Steve Hardesty, KLIN News)
30 years after the infamous hate-crime murder of Brandon Teena, a new mural pays tribute to the ongoing struggle for transgender acceptance.
Commissioned by LUX Center for the Arts, the mural rests on the side of the Empowered Healing building in the University Place neighborhood. Significant, as Teena is from Lincoln and was raised just blocks away.
“This mural comes at a time when many trans-people and—based upon current legislation—trans youth don’t feel comfortable being themselves. This mural in particular, it speaks to that in a very beautiful way,” said Director of Communications for LUX, Michelle Venter.
The aforementioned current legislation broke news earlier this week. With Governor Jim Pillen approving emergency regulations submitted by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) relative to LB574, also known as the Let Them Grow Act, which proports restriction on gender affirming care services for minors in Nebraska.
The two-story mural, painted by tattoo artist Wes Staley, features a glowing portrait of Tenna, draped in a rainbow banner above multiple roses. “Based upon the 30 year time span, we chose to commemorate it at this point in time,” said Venter.
The christening of the mural drew in many community members wishing to honor Teena. Venter shared with KLIN News, “It was interesting. The day that we unveiled the mural, an individual from the World Herald was there… and he just so happened to be the reporter that covered the murder 30 years ago.”
The murder of Teena deeply penetrated pop-culture and public consciousness at the time and in the 30 years since. The tragedy was the basis of inspiration for the 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry and the 1998 documentary The Brandon Teena Story.