Over the past weekend a local trans advocate and Ballroom legend Jahaira Dealto was killed. She was kind, sweet, and understanding. She flew her own path, and it was not the easiest of paths, but she had made it. She did exactly what she set out to do, instill her love into those who were struggling.

At the end, her kindness, openness, and willingness to give and care may have led to very demise. DeAlto allowed a husband, wife and their two kids to stay with her in her Dorchester apartment, when they had no place to go.

On Sunday, the Boston Police received a call from the husband reporting that he had stabbed his wife. When police arrived they found the wife, DeAlto, and her dog all stabbed. The two women died. Husband, Marus Chavin was taken into custody. The children were unharmed, and the dog pulled through after treatment at Angell Memorial.

Chavin Struggled with mental illness, and DeAlto wanted to give his family a safe space and uproot them from a bad situation. That was DeAlto, that is what she was known for doing. She would have given you the shirt off her back had you asked.

I looked back at my last message from DeAlto, just a few years back, “Off to bed, Sir Pete. 917-xxx-xxxx should the urge ever strike!” I meant to call. The number is in my phone. I just never did. Now it is too late.

In this pandemic, we have taken steps back. We haven’t been our usual selves, and we may have lost touch with people and figured that we would just do it when all this COVID is behind us. Do it now, pick up the phone and call a friend. COVID notwithstanding, a lot can happen in an couple years.

With this, I now have regrets. I grew up with DeAlto. She didn’t look the same back then, and she certainly did not have the presence she did in the end. At age 11 to 13, she struggled. She struggled with being an adopted from a war torn country, with being in a body she did not agree with, with a traumatic experience, and with loving men in a man’s body. Back then we were the best of friends, inseparable. I was lucky to have known her. She was my friend.

I end with my message to DeAlto, “Fly Jay. Fly high and fly far. Dance your heart out. Spread love miles and miles all over all of us. We need it. Millions in this world still need you and as for me… I miss you and I am sorry that I didn’t call”

-Pete