Two men have been charged for providing the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed prominent transgender rights activist Cecilia Gentili in February.
A press release from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) named the alleged perpetrators as Michael Kuilan and Antonio Venti and said Gentili died due to the “combined effect of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, and cocaine.”
“Cecilia Gentili, a prominent activist and leader of the New York transgender community, was tragically poisoned in her Brooklyn home from fentanyl-laced heroin. Today, the alleged perpetrators who sold the deadly dose of drugs to Gentili have been arrested,” said Beron Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
“Fentanyl is a public health crisis. Our Office will spare no effort in the pursuit of justice for the many New Yorkers who have lost loved ones due to this lethal drug.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban added that the four-count indictment “delivers a strong message to anyone who profits from poisoning our communities with illicit drugs: There are dedicated investigators, across multiple agencies, working tirelessly to disrupt your shameful industry by pinpointing the source of these unlawful substances.”
According to Frank Tarentino, the special agent in charge of the DEA’s New York Division, fentanyl has been responsible for 70% of nationwide drug-related deaths.
“The death of Ms. Gentile is a reminder of the dangers that illicit drugs have on all communities, including the LGBTQ+ community,” he said.
Gentili struggled with addiction throughout her life, an affliction more common among LGBTQ+ people than the general population.
The press release also said “hundreds of baggies of fentanyl” were found in Kuilan’s apartment and that text messages and cell data show that Venti sold Gentili the heroin/fentanyl mixture on February 5, 2024 – with Kuilan having supplied the drugs to Venti.
Gentili was a revered activist, actress, and author whose contributions to the trans community cannot be overstated.
Born and raised in Argentina, she was granted political asylum in 2011. From 2012 until 2016, she worked for the Apicha Community Health Center, managing a trans health clinic that she grew from four patients to over 500. From 2016 to 2019, she worked as the Director of Policy at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the world’s first organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention.
While there, she fought hard for the passage of GENDA, the New York Gender Expression and Nondiscrimination Act, which bans discrimination based on gender expression and identity and became law in 2019. Gentili also created the TGNC Equity Coalition, which fights for equitable policies, and also won direct funding from the city for trans-led organizations.
She helped establish and lead the DecrimNY campaign, which worked to decriminalize sex work in New York City as well as repeal the city’s “walking while trans” law, which was used by police to harass and arrest trans women for the crime of “loitering for the purposes of prostitution.” She also served as one of the lead plaintiffs in a successful challenge against the administration of President Donald Trump and its attempt to roll back trans protections in the Affordable Care Act.
She played a significant role in leading the Lorena Borjas Trans Equity Fund NYC, which donated more than $1.8 million to trans advocacy organizations. In 2019, she also established Trans Equity Consulting. There, she and her entire transgender staff advised companies, nonprofits, and governments on fair transgender inclusion, especially for trans women of color, immigrants, sex workers, and incarcerated individuals.
In 2020, she also organized the Fierce Futures fundraiser for organizations helping Black trans individuals and, in 2021, co-founded Cecilia’s Occupational Inclusion Network at the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. It was the first healthcare center dedicated to sex workers. In 2023, she assisted in founding Transmissions Fest, New York City’s first all-trans music festival — its profits supported LGBTQ+ charities.
She also appeared on the popular transgender-led TV drama series Pose.
In a tribute to Gentili on the House floor, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called her a “beacon of hope for so many communities” and noted that Gentili’s mission wasn’t finished. She pledged that “together we’ll continue her fight for equality – especially for trans youth.”
She stated, “Our community will always remember Cecilia as a steadfast leader in the struggle for equality.”
