Today (September 14) at 3 p.m. EDT, the Transgender Law Center will host a moment of silence to honor the lives of the 14 Black transgender women who are known to have been killed in 2018. They make up the majority of the 20 trans women who have been reported dead due to homicide this year.
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Of the 20 known homicides of transgender people in the U.S. this year, 14 have been Black transgender women. Join us Friday Sept 14 at 12 PT/3pm ET for a national moment of silence and action: https://t.co/MNFg7U1ggb #Time4BlackTransWomen pic.twitter.com/kIHXT3cUV7
rnt— TransgenderLawCenter (@TransLawCenter) September 13, 2018
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From deputy director Isa Noyola’s statement on the action:
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Each of these deaths is an unspeakable loss of a beautiful, loved young Black woman, and together their murders mark a heightened moment of crisis for our community.
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Now—not just when the president tweets or a legislator pushes harmful policy—is the moment we need allies of trans women to mobilize. Now is yet another moment we need our media to pay attention, look at the systemic problems contributing to this crisis and finally hold each other accountable for offensive, dehumanizing coverage of these deaths. Now is the moment when non-Black trans women, like myself, must recommit ourselves to lifting up the work of Black trans women and confronting all the ways our country, founded on anti-Blackness, is killing our Black trans sisters.
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We’re asking folks to show up and show out for Black trans women this Friday. Wherever you are on Friday at noon PT/3 p.m. ET, go outside, take up space with your friends, loved ones, schoolmates and coworkers, say the names of the lives we’ve lost, and honor those still here in a moment of solidarity and public display of the crisis we’re in. Beyond that moment, check in with Black trans organizers in your communities and ask what support looks like.
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The only way through the fear that consumes us at these times is hope. The only way to build hope is through community.
Last year, at least 28 transgender people were killed; the most on record, per the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This violence is disproportionately unleashed on transgender women of color.
Per The Advocate and HRC, these are the Black transgender women whose homicides have been reported in 2018:
Celine Walker, 36, February 4 in Jacksonville
Tonya Harvey, 35, February 6 in Buffalo
Phylicia Mitchell, 45, February 23 in Cleveland
Amia Tyrae Berryman, 28, March 26 in Baton Rouge
Sasha Wall, 29, April 1 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina
Antash’a English, 38, June 1 in Jacksonville
Diamond Stephens, 39, June 18 in Meridian, Mississippi
Cathalina Christina James, 24, June 24 in Jacksonville
Keisha Wells, 58, June 25 in Cleveland
Sasha Garden, 27, July 19 in Orlando
Dejanay Stanton, 24, August 30 in Chicago
Vontashia Bell, 18, August 30 in Shreveport
Shantee Tucker, 30, September 5 in Philadelphia
London Moore, 20, September 8 in North Port, Florida
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Of the 20 known murders of trans folks in the U.S. in 2018, 14 have been Black trans women. On Friday, join a national moment of silence on Friday at 12 PM PTE / 3 PM ET to #Time4BlackTransWomen. Learn more: https://t.co/G4nAlzw4GN @GLAAD @NCAVP @TransgenderLawCenter @NCTE pic.twitter.com/erbScJHumH
rnt— INTO (@Into) September 14, 2018
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