Transgender Day of Remembrance 2021, 47 Dead, Mostly Black. If You Are Team TERF You Own This.
At least 47 transgender people, mainly Black Transgender women, were killed by anti-trasngender violence.
The Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20th, is when the trans community and allies pause to commemorate transgender people who have died by anti-transgender violence each year. Starting in 1998 as a remembrance of the life and death of Rita Hester whose murder is still unsolved. It followed the egregious case of the 1995 death of Tyra Hunter who after a road accident was referred to with homophobic and anti transgender slurs by and allowed to die by paramedics.
Just this year in the United States of America There are at least 47 lives lost. Contrary to certain comedians most of those killed are Black. Here are their names and stories courtesy of the Human Rights campaign.
Tyianna Alexander, Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín, Bianca “Muffin” Bankz, Dominique Jackson, Fifty Bandz, Alexus Braxton, Chyna Carrillo, Jeffrey “JJ” Bright, Jasmine Cannady, Jenna Franks,Diamond Kyree Sanders, Rayanna Pardo, Jaida Peterson, Dominique Lucious, Remy Fennell, Tiara Banks, Natalia Smut, Iris Santos, Tiffany Thomas, Keri Washington, Jahaira DeAlto, Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, Sophie Vásquez, Danika “Danny” Henson, Serenity Hollis, Oliver “Ollie” Taylor, Thomas Hardin, Poe Black, EJ Boykin, Aidelen Evans, Taya Ashton, Shai Vanderpump, Tierramarie Lewis, Miss CoCo, Pooh Johnson, Disaya Monaee, Briana Hamilton, Kiér Laprí Kartier, Mel Groves, Royal Poetical Starz, Zoella “Zoey” Rose Martinez, Jo Acker, Jessi Hart, Rikkey Outumuro, Marquiisha Lawrence, Jenny De Leon and Angel Naira.
I went to events regarding it every year for a decade but have found it difficult to find the strength.
So, if you see me furiously retorting to people online who try to speak of the transgender community writ large based on one or two high profile people or one or two cases this is why. To transgender folks these are matters of existential importance.
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