After a social media post announced the prominent Calgary transgender advocate’s passing, LWC has confirmed that 32-year-old Anna Murphy is alive and in the hospital.
Friends of Murphy have confirmed to LWC that Murphy is alive and was taken to the hospital via EMS early Wednesday, despite a post shared to her personal Instagram account saying she’d lost her battle with mental health challenges.
When asked about the situation, the Calgary Police Service would only say that the social media post about Murphy’s passing was “inaccurate.”
The circumstances surrounding today’s events are unclear at this time. Those associated with Murphy said that she would be more appropriate to comment when she is well.
With her run for Ward 8 city councillor in 2021, Murphy aimed to be the first transgender woman in office for the city. Murphy later withdrew from the contest and did not appear on that election’s ballot.
The post called her a respected community builder, advocate and leader, who lived a life of purpose, shaped by service, the courage to live authentically, and an unwavering commitment to protecting and advancing human rights.
“Anna, you led, you shone, you loved. You did so much for us all. You fought so many battles. We will continue the fight,” read a comment from NDP MLA Janis Irwin on Murphy’s post.
“Rest in power, my friend.”
Murphy, who was named to Avenue magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2023, recently spoke out regarding Skate Canada’s decision to stop hosting national and international sporting events in Alberta.
“The decision by Skate Canada to no longer host events in Alberta until 2030 is immensely unfortunate. However, it’s not surprising. These are the consequences that come to reality when a government chooses to bring forward policy that makes life unsafe,” she said in a social media post referring to the passing of Bill 9, the Protecting Alberta’s Children Statutes Amendment Act.
“In response, Danielle Smith has suggested that Skate Canada is, ‘out of touch with the majority of Canadians.’ That claim deserves a bit of scrutiny, because only weeks ago, this same Premier, this same government, the same governing party, once again empowered and embraced rhetoric about separating from the rest of Canada, positioning themselves in clear opposition to the very national consensus that the premier now claims to speak for.”
Murphy works with organizations like the Calgary Stampede Foundation, Skipping Stone, Calgary Arts Academy, Contemporary Calgary and the Glenbow Museum, among others, according to the post.
A public service celebrating Murphy’s life that was planned to be held in Calgary will presumably be cancelled.
