Trans woman hosts Christmas dinner for the needy and days later she is murdered
Meghan Riley Lewis worked hard for the LGBTQ+ community in Bel Air, Maryland before she was brutally murdered.
2024-01-10T21:22:46+00:00
- Meghan Riley Lewis was brutally murdered.
- She was a popular transgender activist.
- She was beloved in the community.
Days before the end of 2023, a tragedy cast a shadow over Bel Air, Maryland.
A transgender woman named Meghan Riley Lewis hosted a Christmas dinner for those in need, not knowing she would be murdered just days later.
According to USA Today, Meghan donated her time, money, food and love to Baltimore Safe Haven.
This is the only full-service wellness and housing center in the state for LGBTQ+ individuals.
She was beloved in the community
Iya Dammons, the founder and executive director of Baltimore Safe Haven, spoke highly of Meghan Riley Lewis.
«Meghan was sparkly… She made sure our kids were able to have a Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, whatever they needed to smile.»
Iya also said that Meghan invited various strangers to her home on Christmas day in hopes of alleviating the pain of loneliness.
Among the guests were trans men and women, who often feel estranged from their family and friends.
How did Meghan Riley Lewis die?
According to USA Today, Meghan Riley Lewis was shot on December 27.
This tragic incident occurred after a confrontation, allegedly with a man delivering food in her neighborhood.
At 47 years old, Brian Michael Delen faces charges of murder, assault and weapons possession — he was placed on house arrest.
According to court records and local media reports, he will be monitored by GPS.
She was a major supporter of Baltimore Safe Haven
Despite her grief after the murder, Iya Dammons only had beautiful words for Meghan Riley Lewis.
The founder and executive director of Baltimore Safe Haven said that Meghan supported her when she underwent gender reassignment surgery.
Lewis, in addition to giving advice and sharing details about the process, brought her food and made sure she had everything she needed at that time.
It is worth noting that her generosity extended beyond the LGBTQ+ community.
Remembering Meghan Riley Lewis
Clara Longo de Freitas, a Brazilian reporter for the Baltimore Banner, was one of the people who experienced Meghan Riley Lewis’s generosity firsthand.
Upon learning that Clara would spend Christmas alone, Meghan did not hesitate to invite her over and even offered to prepare traditional Brazilian food.
Although she could not attend, the journalist was moved by this gesture and wrote about her after learning of her murder.
Initial reports from the Bel Air Police Department confused Riley’s gender and used the name assigned to her at birth. Later, they corrected their mistake.
The murder is not being treated as a hate crime
Finally, it is worth highlighting what Bel Air police told USA Today about the investigation into why Meghan Riley Lewis was murdered.
«Nothing in our investigation so far has indicated any motive related to anti-transgender or homophobic sentiment.»
Lee Blinder from Trans Maryland, Iya Dammons and Kurt Doan from Upper Chesapeake Bay Pride do not believe this.
The Human Rights Campaign declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. at the end of 2023.


