Hello, all!

My name is Greyson, and I'm a transgendered man from the Chicago area.

I'm making this petition in efforts to encourage the family of Brandon Teena to correct the epitaph on his gravestone. If you're unfamiliar with this name, Brandon Teena is a transgendered man who was beaten, raped, and murdered in 1993. The heinous crime can be observed in the 1999 film "Boys Don't Cry."

Brandon Teena lived a life where he was silenced, put down, and belittled by a society that just wasn't ready for his brilliance. He showed profound courage and dedication as he stood up for who he was in a world that didn't understand.  His courage helped pave the way for the LGBT community of today.

I was absolutely heartbroken when I found out that Brandon Teena's identity is still being silenced even after his gruesome murder and all that his story has done for the community. His epitaph says his birth-name, and "Daughter, Sister & Friend."

To many of you, this may not seem like such a huge deal. I mean, he has so much publicity due to the successful film and documentaries, but as a transgendered man myself, I can tell you that this is a huge deal. That gravestone is the last piece of personal identification that Brandon Teena will ever have. It is a nametag that he will wear until it decays to nothing, and it is wrong.

Brandon Teena's story has raised so much awareness and brought the LGBT community so far forward. We need to thank him. We owe him the validation of his identity that he didn't get to receive in his life.

Please, sign this petition. Misgendering Brandon Teena on his gravestone is such a terrible injustice to such a brave soul. Please, JoAnn Louise Brandon, give your son the identity he fought so hard to have... the identity he died to have.