_Elizabeth Okosun is a sophomore journalism student at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about social issues._
In recent years, there has been an unfortunate trend in violence against black transgender women. In Kansas City, Brooklyn Lindsey, a 32-year-old homeless black trans woman, was found dead on the porch of a vacant home.
Bailey Reeves of Baltimore, another black trans girl, was shot fatally shot in the torso while celebrating Labor Day with friends. She was only 17.
Dana Martin, 31, of Montgomery, Alabama, was found dead from a gunshot wound in a car. Martin was misgendered by the Montgomery Police Department.
Muhlaysia Booker, only 23, of Dallas, Texas, was found lying face down in the street from what the Dallas Police Department called “homicidal violence.” Only a month before, a man attacked her for $200.
Tracy Williams, a 23-year-old homeless woman from Houston, was found stabbed in a parking lot. Her boyfriend was arrested for the murder after the Houston Police Department waited 10 days to contact prominent members of the Houston LGBTQ+ community to identify Williams.
These five cases, all of which have happened this year, only showcase a few of the things that black trans women experience before their untimely deaths. From homelessness and partner violence, to sex trafficking and calculated attacks, black trans women face a slew of issues that contribute to their deaths.
Violence within relationships is one thing that often leads to transgender people being murdered. A study by UCLA’s School of Law shows that between 31% and 50% of trans individuals experience intimate partner violence compared to 28% and 33% of cisgender people experiencing partner violence.
Another thing that black trans women face that leads to their deaths is the issue of poverty. According to a report by the National Center for Transgender Equality, 38% of trans black people reported living in poverty. Compared to the 29% of trans people in general that live in poverty, the odds are not in their favor. When you compare that statistic to the 12% of the U.S. population that lives in poverty, it’s no wonder trans people often have to turn to things that put them in danger.
A common line of work that black trans women find themselves in is prostitution. When you can legally be fired for being transgender in 26 states, it’s no wonder that up to 42% of black trans women have turned towards sex work to make a living, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Many black trans women have been killed while roaming the streets, some as young as Ashanti Carmon, who was only 16 when she started sex work in order to make money due to her homeless status. She was 27 when she died.
Even if these women do not turn to sex work in order to make a living, facing homelessness still poses a risk to the women who endure it.
Up to 51% of black trans women have experienced homelessness in their life. Only about .17% of the U.S. population experiences homelessness, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
With no determined place to stay, women like Lindsey face threats of danger when they don’t have constant shelter.
Although homeless shelters open their doors to people in need, discrimination against trans people often results in limited options for homeless trans individuals. Earlier this year, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, introduced a rule that would allow federally funded shelters to deny LGBTQ people shelter on the basis of religion.
Although both transgender people and black people individually can face these issues, what makes it worse for trans black women is that their problems are intersectional, according to Rev. Louis Mitchell. Mitchell is a black trans man who is the executive director of Transfaith, a nonprofit that supports trans spiritual leadership.
In a statement he gave to Time magazine, he says the combination of racism, sexism and transphobia “creates insurmountable odds” for trans women of color.
The concept of intersectionality is not a new thing. Coined in 1989 by black feminist scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, intersectionality is the overlapping of different marginalized identities that come together to create new instances of experiences for people who possess these multiple identities.
It’s no secret that women, black people and trans people face various types of discrimination in the U.S.; when black trans women possess all three of these identities, it makes sense that statistically they are on the bottom of the societal totem pole.
Even before this decade, black and brown trans women have had experiences of facing more violence than their white and cisgender counterparts.
“Paris is Burning,” a 1990 documentary about New York City ballroom culture among the black and brown LGBTQ community, highlights the death of Venus Xtravaganza, who was found strangled in a hotel room.
Although the visibility of the trans community has increased in the past 20 years, there is still much to be done in terms of making sure that they get to live on the same equitable terms as cisgender people.
Democratic presidential candidates like Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Cory Booker have talked about the epidemic of black trans deaths, but on the other side of the aisle, conservatives like Carson are rolling back protections, which makes it easier for these individuals to face the threat of violence.
However, it takes more than just a few candidates to talk about these heinous murders while campaigning; society as a whole must make a place for black trans women to exist safely.
_Edited by Bryce Kolk | bkolk@themaneater.com_
