People gathered in Buffalo last night. One of our own had gone missing Monday evening, December 16.
Frank Goldberg, 36, identifies as genderqueer and prefers feminine pronouns and I will honor that. Frank is 5'5" tall, weighs about 150 pounds, and is described as having "a tomboyish appearance with short graying blond hair." Goldberg was last seen wearing a green canvas coat and may have a black knit cap with a yarn mohawk in her possession.
Frank's sister Harmony released the following statement:
Frank is a loving and strong person, and she is valued deeply by the people in her life. She is both gruff and gentle. She loves taking care of animals, especially cats. She has been an activist and an advocate in the LGBT community for many years, helping to build a transgender support group at Buffalo’s Pride Center, which has been a valuable space of support and community for dozens of people.
She also has a long history of providing support and services for people with addictions and with harm reduction work in particular. Frank took her wallet that contained her identification and some cash, but she does not have her phone with her.
The family has hired a private investigator. Goldberg's bank account has shown no activity since her disappearance.
Community members have spread through the streets of Buffalo looking for clues in groups of three to five, beginning by combing the blocks surrounding Lafayette Avenue and Grand Street, Goldberg's last known whereabouts. Others walked along Niagara Riverwalk and Scajaquada Creek trails. Besides searching for Frank, they distributed posters and talked to shop workers who may have been working at the time of Frank's disappearance. The search party has been embiggened by use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Wherever Frank is, she would be so happy to know how loved she is. You’re giving this family so much strength.
--Harmony Goldberg
The search was organized by former girlfriend Karin Lowenthal.
There is no set end time. We’re searching until we find her.
--Lowenthal
The family has, of course, made daily checks at nearby hospitals, shelters, psychiatric wards, and the coroner's office. They have filed a missing person's report, but contact with the police department has been inefficient, at best.
I’ll check with the chief of our district and folks involved with the camera surveillance system to check and see what they may or may not have. I’m not sure if there are cameras there, but I will check.
--police spokesperson Michael DeGeorge
We don’t suspect any kind of hate crime, unless she was going to run an errand and got assaulted. We really don’t know where to look. She’s never done anything like this before.
--Harmony Goldberg
Friends reported that Frank was in "a difficult place emotionally on Monday night and — to our knowledge — she left the house of her (own) volition without telling anyone."
You can keep updated at Help Find Frank Goldberg at Facebook.
Last night's Gathering for Frank at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo was opened by Les Fineberg, included addresses by Harmony and Jesse Goldberg and Karin Lowenthal before being closed by SUNY Buffalo School of Social Work's Pat Shelly.
Frank Goldberg worked at the Pride Center of Western New York and Evergreen Health Services for several years. As an advocate for the transgender community she helped organize a local support group. She also worked in substance abuse counseling and helped organize the annual Buffalo Pride.
We think anything could have happened. She was in a hard place, but she's a survivor and she's fought through stuff before in a hard place, so this is really unlike her.
--Harmony
Our Private Investigator is on the job, but has nothing new for us yet......THE GOOD NEWS IS...she may be alive. Chances are, if she were dead we would have found her by now. So, there IS reason to be hopeful!
And reason to keep looking.
We are grateful for your continued interest and support. You help us keep going....we really need that.
--Karin Lowenthal
Frank had recently moved to Portland, OR (in August) and had made this return trip for the holidays.