At the Bay Times, we will never forget Bryan “Feather Lynn” Higgins. We saw this beautiful radical faerie often, at events, at the deli on Noe where Higgins worked, or just out and about on the streets of the Castro. We admire many of you as we go on our errands, but Feather Lynn really stood out. Not because of anything he wore or did, but perhaps because of his sheer life force. It’s hard to explain, but his inner light was somehow visible, palpable and unforgettable. We didn’t even know him personally, and yet he made a strong and very favorable impression on us.

Now we are mourning his death, which was so violent. The “John Doe” of earlier news reports, showing this gentle angel beaten and bruised, was a member of our Castro family. Feather Lynn, who grew up in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, moved to San Francisco with his partner, Brian Hagerty. They later married at SF City Hall.

The apparent brutal attack that took Feather Lynn’s life could happen to any of us. We are more connected than we realize, going about our daily business and affecting each other in some way, hopefully for the better. The cover photo on Feather Lynn’s Facebook page proclaims, “Be Love,” and he was. We will always miss him.

See Related Story by David Campos here.