Community Grieves Juniper Blessing, Trans Student With “Heart of Gold” Who Loved Meteorology and Pokémon
But for trans students on the university’s campus and beyond, Blessing’s death isn’t just a symbolic moment reflecting the epidemic of violence against trans people in an increasingly anti-trans country: it’s deeply personal. It’s a death in the family.
The University of Washington community has expressed their grief publicly in several forums, including on the university’s unofficial subreddit, where people have gathered to pay tribute to Blessing and begin to process their overwhelming grief.
In one particular thread dedicated to Blessing’s memory, people spoke to her character and the void that has been left after her death.
“I cannot express enough how much of a heart of gold she had,” one person wrote. “Everyone she knew loved her so so much. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the aching void that’s in my heart now after this. My heart aches so bad for her family too.” The poster continued, “She had so much life left to live, she was so ambitious no matter what got in her way. Just the most beautiful soul ever. I can’t believe she’s gone.”
The overwhelming sentiment is clear: Blessing was bright, dedicated, and had so much ahead of her. A classmate of Blessing’s reflected on her passion for atmospheric science and the energy she brought to class.
“I am devastated to learn that my fellow Atmospheric Science classmate, Juniper Blessing, was killed this past weekend at UW,” her classmate wrote on Bluesky. “In the one class I had with Juniper, I knew her to be very kind and dedicated. May she rest in peace and never be forgotten.”
Another person on the same University of Washington subreddit thread shared a statement from a friend who wanted their words to be public. The person wrote that it “wasn’t possible” to dislike Juniper, and spoke about her love for Pokémon, including the fact that she took her name from a character in the franchise.
“She loved pretty outfits and big skirts and blue jeans. If you knew her, you couldn’t hate her if you tried. I imagine if that man had talked to her, she would have had a conversation about who knows what and laughed and smiled as she always did,” the statement says. “Maybe he would have left happy with some new insight on life instead of covered in blood. Her dead name is out there, I was unlucky enough to see it. If you do, try to forget it. Her name was Juniper.”
The person encouraged others to leave stuffed Pokémon animals at her memorial or donate stuffed Pokémon to shelters.
The university’s trans student group, UW Trans Collective, is hosting a space “for community healing” Saturday on campus, per the organization’s Instagram. The group requested that media not attend and that those present do not take photographs. They wrote, “Our focus is on giving the community a space to heal and grieve this loss.”
Get the best of what’s queer. Sign up for Them’s weekly newsletter here.
