www.refinery29.com Molly Horan Aug 25 2015
We live in an age of unprecedented visibility for transgender people — Americans count several trans people, including several trans women of color, among the celebs we know by name. But the experience of women like Laverne Cox and Janet Mock still differs greatly from the transgender population as a whole.
Today, trans people of color still face violence and discrimination at alarming rates. To raise awareness and try to change this reality, the Black Lives Matter Movement declared today #TransLiberationTuesday, with hashtags like #BlackTransLivesMatter circulating on Twitter and protests in at least seven major cities.
Here are seven eye-opening numbers about the challenges faced by this community. Because — even in times of progress — it’s important to take stock of the work that still needs to be done.
17: The number of trans women who have been killed in 2015 alone, as reported by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence — three were killed just this week. These murders happened throughout the U.S., from New Orleans to San Francisco to Philadelphia, and many remain unsolved.
Their names are Papi Edwards, Lamia Beard, Ty Underwood, Yazmin Vash Payne, Taja Gabrielle DeJesus, Penny Proud, Kristina Grant Infiniti, London Chanel, Mercedes Williamson, Ashton O’Hara, Amber Monroe, India Clarke, K.C. Haggard, Shade Schuler, Kandis Capri, Elisha Walker, and Tamara Dominguez.