At least 22 transgender people in America lost their lives to violence this year. Most were women, most were Black, all were valuable.
Tuesday is the Transgender Day of Remembrance in the U.S. and around the world. It was created in 1999 by Gwendolyn Smith.
Across the nation, and around the world – from Washington D.C., to Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Toronto, England, Ireland, India, and more – vigils were held honoring and remembering the people killed because they were transgender.
NBC News today points to “an FBI report released last week that found anti-LGBTQ hate crimes rose 3 percent in 2017, with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people comprising more than 16 percent all 8,828 known hate crime victims.”
Here are the names of the 22 people lost to anti-trans violence this year in the U.S., from a 73-page report published by the Human Rights Campaign:
Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien
Viccky Gutierrez
Celine Walker
Tonya “Kita” Harvey
Zakaria Fry
Phylicia Mitchell
Amia Tyrae Berryman
Sasha Wall
Karla Patricia Flores-Pavón
Nino Fortson
Gigi Pierce
Antash’a English
Diamond Stephens
Keisha Wells
Cathalina Christina James
Sasha Garden
Dejanay Stanton
Vontashia Bell
Shantee Tucker
Londonn Moore
Nikki Enriquez
Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier
TDOR.info lists over 300 transgender people who died by violence this year around the world. Over 130 were shot. Nearly 50 stabbed. Nearly 30 beaten. Eight were stoned to death. Nine were tortured. Four were decapitated or dismembered. And for many the cause of death is listed as unknown.
Let’s take a look at some of the vigils held today, in the U.S. and around the world:
New Haven, Connecticut:
Toronto:
Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania:
Washington, D.C.:
Pune, Maharashtra, India:
Loudoun County, Virginia:
Boston, Massachusetts:
East Midlands, England:
Albuquerque, New Mexico:
Birmingham, UK:
Bournemouth, England:
New Jersey:
Dublin City, Ireland:
Image, top, by ThisIsMeIreland via Twitter