“This year, 14-year-old Paulie Likens passed away.he is the youngest [transgender] These are the kind of casualties we have recorded so far,” says Dr. Shoshana Goldberg. “We have witnessed many victims being misgendered and neutralized by the authorities, and it is not surprising that we report on what has come to light this year. What’s not surprising, but heartbreaking, is that we see something similar happening. The numbers may change from year to year, but the same trends continue to emerge. ”
Goldberg is director of public education and research at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the education arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. Today, the day before Transgender Day of Remembrance, which commemorates transgender people who have lost their lives to murder or suicide, the Foundation released a report detailing the extent of violence against members of the transgender and gender nonconforming community in the United States. announced. state.
Unsurprisingly, the statistics are grim.
of “Epidemic of Violence” Report Provides background on how transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals become targets of physical violence.
Since it began compiling statistics on such violence in 2013, the HRC Foundation has identified at least 372 transgender and gender nonconforming people who have lost their lives to secondary violence. In the year since Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2023, HRC has identified at least 36 murderers, 30 of whom lost their lives in the current calendar year.
The term “at least” means that many transgender people have been misgendered or “deathnamed” by police, prosecutors, the media, and even family members, and their deaths have been misreported or not reported at all by the media. It is used to point out that something may or may not have happened. Therefore, the actual death toll may be even higher.
Additionally, misgendering or “deadlynaming” a victim can make it difficult for law enforcement to identify the victim or solve cases involving transgender victims. There is a gender. This is because the potential source may have known the victim only as a transgender person and not by his “dead name.” or gender assigned at birth.
“YoWe see the same trends emerging year after year,” Goldberg said during a Zoom call. “The majority of victims are trans women, especially black trans women. The majority of victims are young people. The majority are killed by guns.”
Some statistics.
Since 2013, 84% of transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming people have been people of color, more than 68% have been Black, and nearly 15% have been Hispanic.
In the past 12 months, 74% of victims were people of color, 60% were black and 11% were Hispanic.
Transgender women are among the most vulnerable to deadly violence, accounting for nearly 83% of all fatal anti-trans violence victims since 2013 and 77% in the past 12 months. occupied.
Trans women of color accounted for 73% of all homicide victims since 2013 and 60% of all victims in the past year. Black transgender women, in particular, accounted for 60% of all homicide victims since 2013 and nearly 49% of victims in the past year.
Victims of anti-trans violence are relatively young, with nearly 75% of deaths since 2013 and more than half of all deaths in the past 12 months occurring in individuals under 35 years of age.
Based on people who died since 2013, the average age of victims at the time of death is 30 years.
Anti-transgender violence is also not localized, with homicides recorded in 199 cities and towns in 41 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
However, two-thirds of all victims were killed in just 10 states: Texas, Florida, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Maryland, and North Carolina.
Texas, with 37 victims, and Florida, with 33 victims, each accounted for nearly 10% of all deaths during the same period.
Goldberg said it is impossible to ignore transphobia and anti-trans prejudice when considering violence against transgender individuals.
“We have seen Over the past two years, 120 anti-LGBT bills have been passed, the majority of which target transgender youth, including their ability to go to the bathroom, access health care, and what they can learn in school. They attack things like what you can call. I’m documenting myself,” she says. “Not only do these laws keep LGBT and transgender people out of everyday life, they perpetuate and are often accompanied by truly harmful and frightening rhetoric.
“Talking about transgender people as violent, dangerous, and a danger to society is the worst thing we’ve seen every year since Anita Bryant in the 1970s and the “Lavender Scare” in the 1950s. It relies on metaphors. ”
Goldberg said there are other factors beyond anti-trans hostility that put transgender people’s lives at risk.
“Transgender people They are much more likely to experience physical violence and harassment,” she says. “Trans students are bullied at much higher rates than cis students, and even queer and LGBQ students.
“We also see that many transgender people are excluded from formal economic activity; they experience poverty, homelessness, and housing instability; some engage in sex work; , putting people at risk of violence.”
“Hate against members of the transgender and gender-expansive community ignores the fact that we deserve the opportunity to live our lives to the fullest without fear of harm or death, and treats our communities as political pawns. It’s fueled by disinformation, rhetoric and ideology,” Tori Cooper said. Director of Community Engagement for HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative said in an emailed statement.
“More than half of the reported victims are Black trans women, and this alarming reality highlights the fact that more than half of the reported victims are Black trans women, who disproportionately face racism, misogyny, sexism, transphobia, and myriad other social issues. It reflects trends in violence that continue to plague our communities.”
Of the states with the “most backward anti-trans policies,” Goldberg said, Texas and Florida have the highest number of transgender victims, while states like Illinois, California and Maryland States in blue say this is not the case. Not subject to similar violence.
““This year alone, Minnesota recorded two fatal violent incidents for the first time,” Goldberg said. “And this state is very open to transgender people. In fact, it’s a ‘sanctuary’ for transgender youth. So I think that’s something that shouldn’t be overlooked. ”
According to HRC data, the relationship between transgender victims and their killers is often unknown or unclear. Since 2013, the perpetrator has not been identified in more than one in three deaths.
When the perpetrator is identified, 23% of cases involve a murderer unknown to the victim, an additional 26% involve a transgender person being murdered by an intimate partner, and 9% involve a friend or family member. was involved in the murder.
Guns play a huge role in killing transgender and gender nonconforming people. In fact, since 2013, nearly 7 out of 10 fatalities have involved this weapon.
“The contribution of gun violence cannot be overlooked,” Goldberg said. “Many of the states that were once High rates of gun violence against transgender people also occur in states with lax gun laws, and gun-related homicides and suicides among the general population are on the rise. So Where guns are more available, there are also more gun deaths”
Tragically, violence against transgender people often goes unresolved, and justice for victims is often temporary.
Since 2013, four out of 10 cases involving trans homicide victims have resulted in no arrests, even when a suspect has been named.
Of the 58% of arrests, fewer than 28% of all murders end with the named killer being convicted and serving time in prison. No officers have been charged in the police-involved shooting of a transgender person.
Despite the disappointing statistics regarding anti-trans violence, Goldberg says there are signs of hope in how such incidents are handled by police and the media.
“circleThe number of people being misgendered or anonymous is decreasing, suggesting that reporters and law enforcement are getting better at discussing the issue. This is a small sign of hope, but for me it means more and more people are understanding what it means to be transgender and understanding how to talk about this community with respect and respect. shows the facts. I salute them. ”
Goldberg also noted that efforts to apprehend perpetrators are becoming more effective, even though perpetrators still very often enter into plea bargains or are sentenced to crimes less than murder. It’s getting faster.” Just last week, we witnessed the case of Megan Riley Lewis, whose killer was a food delivery driver who was promised a lesser charge. ”
The HRC Foundation has released its second report on “Dismantling the Culture of Violence”. This report highlights the determinants of the prevalence of anti-trans violence and provides steps for how allies can make the world safer for transgender and gender nonconforming people. Goldberg points out that there are things individuals can do to help transgender people feel more accepted and feel less hopeless.
“The best way to support individuals is to The transgender people in your life are about believing and affirming them,” Goldberg said. “When they come out to you, use the correct name, use the correct pronouns, call them the way they want, and respect their identity. So just let them be. The simple act of allyship is a good way to show support.
“And if you, as an ally, When you hear someone making a transphobic comment, speak up. If you hear someone spreading disinformation or misinformation about gender-affirming care, push back.
“handThe more you can identify as one of those people, the more you can help us counter and disrupt these transphobic systems,” she continued. “We don’t know yet what will happen at the presidential level, and while it won’t solve the problem, it will at least make sure that the transgender people around you know that they are safe to be with you.” You can do that.”
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Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
