Queer As Folks

Community members gathered November 20 at Spirit of the Lakes Church in Minneapolis for the Ninth Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. The event started in 1998 to remember Rita Hester, whose murder, which is still unsolved, kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” Web project. Since then, it has grown to include cities across America, to mourn and memorialize those killed because of antitransgender hatred or prejudice—over the past decade, at least one person a month—as well as to raise public awareness of the growing problem.

Local sensation Tina Schlieske performed one of her energetic shows at Pi Restaurant and Bar on November 21. Known for her back-to-back performances, she has become a local favorite with the release of an astounding nine records, starting in 1992, and has her own independent label, Movement Records. Playing since the age of 13, she always has been surrounded by music. Her mother was a Russian opera diva who adored music and passed that passion to her daughter. Schlleske’s future shows and information can be found at <www.tinabsides.com>.