murder – TransOutLoud https://transoutloud.org Empowering the Trans Community Thu, 08 Dec 2016 17:33:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://transoutloud.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/favicon.png murder – TransOutLoud https://transoutloud.org 32 32 ‘Unerased:’ Tracks America’s Epidemic of Transgender Murders https://transoutloud.org/unerased-database-transgender-murders/ https://transoutloud.org/unerased-database-transgender-murders/#respond Thu, 08 Dec 2016 17:01:47 +0000 http://transoutloud.com/?p=12547 A team of reporters at the millennial-focused news site Mic have compiled “Unerased,” a sorely needed, comprehensive resource to convey the very real danger of being transgender in America. It’s being touted as an “unprecedented” database of trans-related homicides across the U.S., dating back to 2010.

“Unerased” is more than just a bunch of numbers. With a click, readers can learn about Devin Diamond, Crystal Edmonds, Jessie Hernandez, Monica Loera, Evon Young, Lorena Escalera, Cassidy Vickers and more than 100 more.

A self-guided tour of the database yields more than names, numbers, their stories and statistics. The sad, significant and stark reality that emerges from the photographs is that the vast majority of these victims were trans women of color.

Working with the New York City Anti-Violence Project, transgender advocacy organizations, activists, academics and the loved ones and friends of victims, the Mic journalists gathered a wealth of demographic, multimedia and biographical information that the website has posted online for the world to see.

While intended to help academics, journalists, and transgender activists, this tool could also become a powerful change engine for allies of the trans community to use in advocating for civil rights protections and a greater commitment from law enforcement.

But the “Unerased” database is just the beginning, according to Mic. In addition to making a commitment to continuously update and expand its collection of information, the editors tasked esteemed journalist and contributing editor Meredith Talusan with the job of investigating the epidemic that, to date, has claimed at least 111 transgender and gender-nonconforming Americans.

In addition to leading the team, Talusan’s task was to explore why the victims’ gender identities cost them their lives, learn who they were, and try to understand and explain why the problem is only growing worse each passing year.

“In reporting this story and speaking with family members of transgender homicide victims, we focused on bringing light to the systematic failures impacting trans people, especially trans women of color,” said Talusan in a statement emailed to LGBTQNation. “If everyone in the U.S. were murdered at the rate young black trans women and femmes are, there’s no doubt that the public would consider this a crisis of massive proportions.”

Consider the numbers: of those 111 victims over six years, Mic says it found 75% of them were black trans women and gender-nonconforming femmes, who don’t identify as male or female and present as feminine. Citing numbers from the NCAVP, Talusan wrote that “no group under the LGBTQ umbrella faces more violence than transgender people, who accounted for 67% of the hate-related homicides against queer people in 2015.”

Source link

]]>
https://transoutloud.org/unerased-database-transgender-murders/feed/ 0
Mya Young’s Death Makes It Three Trans Deaths in 2016 https://transoutloud.org/mya-young-death-makes-three-trans-deaths-2016/ https://transoutloud.org/mya-young-death-makes-three-trans-deaths-2016/#respond Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:07:43 +0000 http://transoutloud.com/?p=211 On February 23rd, Mya Young, 25, became the third trans-related death already in 2016. She had fallen victim to multiple stab wounds in the chest and neck in the 4800 block of Penn Street at 11:50 PM EST Saturday in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. Police were called to the scene and she was taken to Aria Health-Frankford Campus, less than two blocks away. She was pronounced dead at 12:21 a.m.

Mya YoungAs of this writing, police still have no real leads on a suspect or even a motive. However, Young was a sex worker with a prostitution conviction in 2015. It’s believed that may have played a part in this murder.

Others in the city have spoken up about the death of Mya Young, releasing several statements about the tragedy.

“The community is heartbroken once again with the senseless slaying of another transgender woman of color,” wrote Naiymah Sanchez, a coordinator with the Philadelphia based TransHealth Information project on her Facebook page.

Nellie Fitzpatrick, director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs, said, “My heart is with her sister, family, friends, and community,” adding, “We must work harder as a city, state, nation, and society to protect and support transgender people.”

She is also fondly remembered by her friends. “She looked like chocolate and caramel,” said Anthony Harper, a longtime friend and former roommate of the 25-year-old transgender woman. He used to call her “Twix,” like the candy bar. “She was sweet, like candy,” he said.

At least 21 transgender people were killed in the United States last year, the highest total on record, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Two were slain in Philadelphia, including Kiesha Jenkins, 22, who was beaten, robbed, and gunned down in Logan in October, and London Kiki Chanel, 21, who was stabbed to death last May in North Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Police Department is looking for information in the Mya Young case, and if you have it, you can call the PPD Police Homicide Unit at 215-686-3344 or 911.

A $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.

]]>
https://transoutloud.org/mya-young-death-makes-three-trans-deaths-2016/feed/ 0