Remembering Sakia Gunn: Stonewall Inn honors teen murdered 2 decades ago for being gay
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Her murder sparked a movement more than two decades ago.
In May 2003, a man stabbed Sakia Gunn to death in Newark, all because the 15-year-old lesbian rejected his sexual advances.
On Thursday, during a ceremony at the Stonewall Inn, Gunn's name will be added to the Wall of Honor.
On May 11, 2003, Sakia died in her cousin's arms.
"Not only did I lose Sakia, I lost myself, I died along with my cousin that day," said Valencia Baily, Sakia's cousin. "Nothing can break me because that broke me and put me back together."
Born one day apart, Sakia and Valencia were best friends. They had big dreams that never came to be.
The girls were with friends and waiting for a bus in downtown Newark. Richard McCullough, then 29, stabbed Sakia after the teens rejected his advances, telling him they were lesbians.
As captured in the documentary, "Dreams Deferred," Valencia faced their attacker in court, prosecuted as a hate crime, and the teen was shattered.
"He decided to play God that night and took my cousin from me," she said in the documentary.
The murder sparked outrage locally.
"Sakia and Valencia were star basketball players, the school was upended, we have 1,000, 2,000 people at the corner of Broad and Market protesting," said activist and pastor Kevin Taylor.
It was the start of a slow and steady movement to fill a huge void in the city. More than two decades later, there is now a vast network of resources in place for the LGBTQIA+ community.
"We made it our business to create this web of connections so that no matter what, if we can help it, another Sakia Gunn never happens again," Taylor said.
Sakia and Valencia's families are tremendous advocates in the community and are still humbled by what happened following Sakia's murder.
Today, Sakia would have been 36 years old.
"To have her name next to the likes of Harvey Milk, those who stood for us when we couldn't stand ourselves, she will always be remembered for what she stood for, for who she was and how she is," Valencia said.
Valencia told Eyewitness News she's deeply committed to reaching all of the goals that she and her cousin talked about so many years ago.
"I feel if I don't accomplish these things, my cousin died twice, my cousin died twice for no reason. This was not in vain and it will never be in vain," Valencia said.
ABC 7 New York is your home for the NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 30. Watch the broadcast from noon until 3 p.m. on Channel 7 and anywhere you stream ABC7NY.
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