Transgender Day of Remembrance

In 1998, Rita Hester, a Black trans woman, was stabbed to death in her Boston apartment. By the time police arrived, she was in cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead after she was transported to a local hospital. Twenty-two years later, Rita Hester’s death is still unsolved.

It was that murder, and the seeming lack of care or response because after all, it was a transgender victim, that spurred Gwendolyn Ann Smith, another transgender woman, to create Transgender Day of Remembrance, observed every year on November 20th.

In 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith was operating an online forum for transgender people on AOL and she brought up Rita Hester’s name. Smith noticed how similar Hester’s death was to another anti-transgender murder that took place three years prior, that of Chanelle Pickett. The two deaths weren’t linked; Pickett’s murderer had been caught and was in jail when Rita Hester was killed, but they were both trans women of color, both had gone out to a bar before heading home, both were in Boston, and both were killed near the end of November. Even more shocking for Smith, was that others in the room had never heard of Channel Pickett.

A week later Smith created Remembering Our Dead, a website where she chronicled 30 cases of anti-transgender violence over the previous decade. That led Smith, and Penni Ashe Matz, another trans activist, to hold a remembrance of Hester’s murder on the one-year anniversary of her death. That was the first Transgender Day of Remembrance. And it still goes on…

In 2020, we have already seen at least 34 transgender or gender non-conforming people killed by violent means, the majority being Black and Latinx transgender women. It’s ‘at least’ 34 because too often these stories go unreported, or misreported, with the detail of the victims being trans or gender non-conforming left out of the story. Yet these victims are like all of us; they had families, friends, loved ones; they had jobs, went to school, lived. They were real people, not less than, who did not deserve to have their lives taken from them.

These are the names of those we’ve lost in 2020:

Dustin Parker, 25, was fatally shot in McAlester, Oklahoma, on New Year’s Day. His employers remember him as “a steadfast friend, an amazing husband and father and generous to a fault.”

Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, [no photo available] was fatally shot in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico on February 24. Members of her community knew her as "humble" and "noble."

Yampi Méndez Arocho, 19, was killed in Moca, Puerto Rico, on March 5. Arocho, a transgender man, shared his love for basketball and the NBA … the biography line on his Facebook reads simply, “Humility Prevails.”

Monika Diamond, 34, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Charlotte, North Carolina on March 18. Active in Charlotte's LGBTQ community, she was the co-owner of a promotion company, and co-CEO of the International Mother of the Year Pageantry System—a pageant honoring LGBTQ mothers.

Lexi, 33, a transgender woman, was killed in Harlem, on March 28. She was fatally stabbed in Harlem River Park. A friend, Lavonia Brooks, says: “I really looked up to her because of her tolerance and respect. Lexi had a beautiful heart.”

Johanna Metzger, a transgender woman, was killed in Baltimore, Maryland on April 11. She was visiting a Baltimore recovery center from Pennsylvania at the time. Johanna was known for her love of music and taught herself to play multiple instruments.

Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, 32, was killed in Puerto Rico on April 21, alongside Layla Pelaez Sánchez. She was visiting the island, and set to return home to Queens at the end of the month. Loved ones called her “full of life,” a “happy person,” and a “sincere friend.” On May 1, two men were charged for her death.

Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21, killed in Puerto Rico on April 21 alongside Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos. Sánchez had recently moved to the island, and was living in the Tejas neighborhood in Las Piedras. On May 1, two Puerto Rican men were charged for Sánchez's death.

Penélope Díaz Ramírez, a transgender woman, was also killed in Puerto Rico on April 13.

Nina Pop, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Sikeston, Missouri, on May 3. She was deeply loved by her family, friends and community.

Helle Jae O’Regan, 20, a transgender woman, was killed in San Antonio on May 6. Proud of her trans identity she often spoke out on Twitter out against injustice, including the LGBTQ inequality, the prison industrial complex and the need to decriminalize sex work. Damion Terrell Campbell has been charged with her murder.

Tony McDade, a Black transgender man, was killed in Tallahassee, Florida, on May 27. His friends and family shared how he was an energetic, giving person with a big heart.

Dominique “Rem'mie” Fells, a Black transgender woman was killed in Philadelphia on June 9. One friend posted online, “Dom was a unique and beautiful soul who I am lucky to have known personally. I am beside myself right now. We need to fight!! We need to do more!!!! We will get justice.”

Riah Milton, a 25-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in Liberty Township, Ohio on June 9. In March, she posted the status “Never been scared to struggle. Imma get it eventually” -- a comment highlighting her resilience and optimism as a person facing a transphobic, misogynist and racist society.

Jayne Thompson, a 33-year old white transgender woman, was killed in Mesa County, Colorado, on May 9. She was killed by a Colorado State Patrol trooper and misgendered in initial news reports.

Selena Reyes-Hernandez, a 37-year old transgender woman, was killed in Chicago on May 31.

Brian “Egypt’ Powers, a 43-year old Black transgender person, was killed in Akron, Ohio, on June 13. Powers worked at a local catering company and is remembered for wearing long, colorful braids—“unicorn braids,” as Powers called them.

Brayla Stone, a 17-year old Black transgender girl, was found killed in Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 25.

Merci Mack, a 22-year old Black transgender woman, was killed in Dallas on June 30. Her loved ones shared how beautiful of a friend she was. On July 8, a man was arrested on a murder charge in connection to her death.

Shaki Peters, a 32-year old Black transgender woman, was killed in Amite CIty, Louisiana, on July 1.

Bree Black, a 27-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in Pompano Beach, Florida, on July 3.

Summer Taylor, a white non-binary person, was in Seattle on July 4. Taylor was participating in the Black Femme March in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and against police brutality. Taylor worked full time at Urban Animal veterinary hospital.

Marilyn Cazares was a transgender Latina killed in Brawley, California. Mindy Garcia, an aunt of Cazares, said she “loved to sing and dance” and “never bothered anyone.”

Dior H Ova, [no photo available] who some reports identify as Tiffany Harris, a Black transgender woman, was killed in the Bronx. Ova loved fashion—listed her career as a personal shopper.On August 13, a man was arrested on a murder charge in connection to her death.

Queasha D Hardy, a 22-year old Black transgender woman, was killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 27. Hardy, a hairstylist, was extremely loved by her community who called loyal, loving, “always smiling,” “the life of all parties” and “truly one of a kind.”

Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears, who sometimes used the name Rocky Rhone, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Portland, Oregon, on July 28. She studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and was the owner and founder of International Barbie, a Portland-based clothing brand.

Kee Sam, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Lafayette, Louisiana, on August 12.

Aerrion Burnett, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Indepedence, Missouri, on September 19. Her friends and family shared “if you wanted to have a good day, you need to smile, Aerrion was the person you wanted by your side.”

Mia Green, a 29-year old Black transgender woman, was killed in Philadelphia on September 28. Her friends and family shared how “her smile was so perfect and so contagious. She made me laugh.”

Michelle Michellyn Ramos Vargas, a transgender woman from Puerto Rico in her mid-30s, was killed in San Germán, Puerto Rico on September 30.

Felycya Harris, a 33-year old transgender woman, was killed in Augusta, Georgia in October. Felycya was an interior decorator who ran her own company.

Brooklyn Deshuna, 20, a Black transgender woman, was killed in Shreveport, Louisiana, on October 7. Brooklyn attended Bossier Parish Community College and studied cosmetology.

Sara Blackwood, [no photo available] a transgender woman, was killed in Indianapolis, Indiana on October 11 … National Coming Out Day. She enjoyed playing video games and was a fan of the show “My Little Pony.”

Angel Unique, a 25-year old Black transgender woman, was killed in Memphis, Tennessee, on October 25. A licensed cosmetologist, friends and family of Angel remembered her for being “very funny, very nice to everybody she met” and “such a bright person [with] a positive spirit.”

These victims were killed by acquaintances, partners or strangers, some of whom have been arrested and charged, while others have yet to be identified. Some of these cases involve clear anti-transgender bias. In others, the victim’s transgender status may have put them at risk in other ways, such as forcing them into unemployment, poverty, homelessness and/or survival sex work.

While the details of these cases differ, it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color—particularly Black transgender women—and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and unchecked access to guns conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare and other necessities.

As is too often the case in the reporting of anti-transgender violence, many of these victims are misgendered in local police statements and media reports, which can delay our awareness of deadly incidents.

Say their names. Remember them.

LGBTQ Nation