.png)
Photo by: Getty Images
Writer: Raven Harper
In a time where hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter, #DefundThePolice, and #SayTheirNames are bringing attention and a call for change to the systemic racism and discrimination towards the Black community, it is only right we start recognizing, including, and emphasizing the ALL in all Black lives matter. We cannot demand equality for Black people if we are not genuinely concerned about demanding equality for ALL Black people; particularly the Black LGB(T)Q+ community. In just this year alone, at least 16 transgender Americans have been murdered by police and as a result of hate crimes, the majority being Black, transgender women. According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, transgender people of color were six times more likely to experience physical violence from police compared to white cisgender people. On top of this violence, many members of the transgender community face discrimination in employment, housing, healthcare, and public assistance every day according to CNN. We must become aware of and respect the struggles of all intersectionalities in today’s society, educate ourselves on their stories the news will not mention, and become as outraged for them as we are for the George Floyd’s and Breonna Taylor’s. The Black, transgender community has to fight every day due to their physical and sexual identities, so it important that we include their names in our fight for justice and equality in all spaces for Black people as well.
To do that, we have to start by becoming aware of the injustice and hate crimes being done towards this community, and below I have listed a few of the many Black, transgender people who were murdered this year due to police brutality, and hate crimes as well as ways to join their fight by donating and supporting causes created to support them. Say their names:
Tony McDade, 38
Tony McDade, a Black transgender man was shot and killed by Tallahassee police after responding to a call about a deathly stabbing that McDade was accused of being involved in. Multiple eyewitnesses nearby during the time claimed they didn’t see or hear the officer identity himself, give warnings, or try to de-escalate the situation after approaching the scene, they just heard gunshots. More details about his story: https://www.motherjones.com/crime-justice/2020/05/tony-mcdade-tallahassee-florida-police-shooting-death/
Brayla Stone, 17
Brayla Stone, a Black transgender young woman was found in a van in Little Rock, Arkansas on June 25 after being murdered by a man who revealed himself on social media claiming he was paid five thousand dollars to kill her. More details about her story: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2020/06/police-staying-silent-murder-17-year-old-transwoman-brayla-stone/
Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, 27
Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, a Black trans woman's remains were discovered in a river in Southwest Philadelphia on June 8 with severe trauma to her head and face with her legs severed. More details about her story: https://www.phillyvoice.com/dominique-remmie-fells-death-black-transgender-woman-homicide-lgbtq-reaction/
Riah Milton, 25
Riah Milton, a Black trans woman was found dead in Liberty Township, Ohio after being shot multiple times and killed during an attempted robbery by two men and a teenage girl who lured her into the park to try to steal her car. More details about her story: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/riah-milton-black-transgender-woman-killed-in-ohio-just-wanted-to-be-accepted/ar-BB15qTND
Layleen Polanco, 27
Layleen Polanco, an Afro-Latinx trans woman died in solitary confinement at Rikers Island after Rikers' guards waited 90 minutes to call for help after Polanco was having complications from epilepsy. The Riker guards failed to check on her every 15 minutes as they are required to. More about her story: https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a27921290/who-is-layleen-polanco-transgender-woman-died-solitary-confinement/
Nina Pop, 28
Nina Pop, a Black trans woman was found in her apartment in Sikeston, Missouri on May 3 after being stabbed several times from an apparent hate crime. More about her story: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/05/10/nina-pop-transgender-woman-killed-dead-missouri/
Monika Diamond, 34
Monika Diamond, a Black transwoman, and activist was shot to death in Charlotte, NC in an ambulance. While being treated by paramedics after experiencing shortness of breath, a man shot Diamond several times inside of the ambulance. More about her story: https://www.advocate.com/crime/2020/3/24/trans-businesswoman-shot-death-while-being-treated-ambulance
National LGBTQ+ Organizations to donate and support:
LGBTQ Freedom Fund: https://www.lgbtqfund.org/
“LGBTQ Freedom Fund posts bail to secure the safety and liberty of individuals in U.S. jails and immigration facilities.”
Trans Justice Funding Project: https://www.transjusticefundingproject.org/
“The Trans Justice Funding Project is a community-led funding initiative founded in 2012 to support grassroots, trans justice groups run by and for trans people.
The Marsha P. Johnson Institute: https://marshap.org/about-mpji/
“The Marsha P. Johnson Institute (MPJI) protects and defends the human rights of BLACK transgender people. We do this by organizing, advocating, creating an intentional community to heal, developing transformative leadership, and promoting our collective power.”
For The Gworls: https://linktr.ee/ForTheGworlsParty
“We raise funds to assist with Black trans folks’ rent and affirmative surgery."
The Black Trans Travel Fund: https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com/
"The Black Trans Travel Fund (BTTF) is a mutual-aid fund developed in 2019 to provide Black transgender women with financial resources to travel safely."
The Okra Project: https://www.theokraproject.com/
"The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them."
Comments