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More Than A Number: The Urgent Need to Reform Media Reports

Layleen Polanco

Layleen Polanco was 27 years old. She is remembered as “a sweet, amazing [..] and generous human being.” Her family home was located in Yonkers, New York. She was very involved in New York City’s ballroom scene and was a member of the House of Xtravaganza. Layleen was remembered by her sister as a bubbly person. She is also a good friend of Pose star Indya Moore. Not a lot of information of her life has been released but members of her family, extended family, and friends have fought for her justice and have protested against the justice system trying to sweep her murder under the rug.

Nina Pop

Nina Pop was 28 years old. She was “deeply loved by her family, friends, and community.” She was very involved in her homelife and was close to her family. According to the Human Rights Campaign, weeks before her death she shared photos of her and her siblings. Her family, friends, and community are largely mourning her loss as many posts remembering Nina states that “everyone loved” her. Nina “worked at a fast-food restaurant in Sikeston and was well-known in the area,” according to KFVS, a TV station in nearby Cape Girardeau. Her friend Emory McCauley remembers her as a woman who “was always happy.”

Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells

Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells was 27 years old. She is remembered by a friend as a “unique and beautiful soul.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, friends of Dominique are mourning her death online. One of her friends posted that she was “a unique and beautiful soul who I am lucky to have known personally.” Dominique’s friend states that “we need to fight. We need to do more. We will get justice.” According to her friend Kendall Stephens, Dominique was originally from New York and was a “social butterfly who was very close to her mother.” He states that “she lived her truth so loud that you could hear her a mile away.” She had plans to go back to school and had dreams of being a fashion designer.

Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears

Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears was 32 years old. She was beloved by her family and remembered as a “vibrant personality.” According to the Human Rights Campaign she sometimes used the name Rocky Rhone. She studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and was the owner/founder of International Barbie, a Portland based clothing brand. According to her Facebook she was very close to her family and constantly would post photos with them. She was very outspoken when it came to call out racial injustice, especially police brutality and “advocated for a world free from white supremacy.” Her family states that “she was nonetheless a source of joy to her loved ones who always helped others in need.”

Aerrion Burnett

Aerrion Burnett was 37 years old. She lived nearby Kansas City. Her friends and family remember her as a “person you wanted by your side.” Korea Kelly, who was friends with Aerrion states that “Aerrion was a Barbie, she was a goddess.” Family members and the local community have held vigils calling for justice, and Burnett’s friends honored her at a memorial service. At the vigil, loved ones released balloons in her honor.

Mia Green

Mia Green was 29 years old. According to the Human Rights Campaign, her friends and family shared how “her smile was so perfect and so contagious. She made me laugh.” Deja Lynn Alvarez, a transgender community activist, states that she remembers Mia as a person that “was very well loved and respected and from all accounts from everyone in the community, she was an amazing, beautiful person." Tori Cooper, HCR’s director of community engagement for the transgender justice initiative, states that “Mia was a person who mattered, and she did not deserve to have her life stolen from her.

Brooklyn Deshuna

Brooklyn Deshuna was 20 years old. According to the Human Rights Campaign, other reports have also identified her as Brooklyn DeShauna Smith. She attended Bossier Parish Community College and studied cosmetology. “Brooklyn was just 20 years old, at the beginning of her life. HRC Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, Tori Cooper, states “Brooklyn was just 20 years old, at the beginning of her life. She did not deserve to have that life taken from her. Not one of the trans and gender non-conforming people who have been killed this year deserved to have their lives taken from them.” Her friends remember her as “genuinely a good person.” Her friends and family are also demanding justice for her death.

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As we look back to previous blog posts the idea that because the deaths of these women occurred a year or two ago that trans violence is not a current issue occurring in our society because of how “progressive” we’ve become. That could not be more incorrect! I want it to be clear that trans violence, especially for Black trans women, is very current and ongoing. This is an issue that has been occurring for far too long and because it is swept under the rug, as well as rarely reported upon in the media, this issue is made smaller than what it actually is. That fact alone is extremely dangerous to the trans community who during this time requires the most coverage but in the correct way. Awareness must be spread or the idea that trans violence has “disappeared” will disseminate. In fact the Human Rights Campaign states that “this epidemic of violence disproportionately targets transgender people of color.” Although more coverage for this community needs to increase many changes must occur. One being holding the media and police reports accountable in correctly reporting information about the trans community. Deadnaming, misnaming, and misgendering must cease. So many women, in fact far too many trans women, on this list but as well as past blog lists have sadly faced this injustice. Their family and friends protest and speak up for their lost loved ones who have experienced this but the mistake has be constantly made time and time again. Enough is enough. 

These murders are very real. Some may believe that trans violence has ceased, but to believe that is very ignorant.  In fact the murders of three of the women on this list: Aerrion Burnett, Mia Green, and Brooklyn Deshuna, occurred in the last three months. As More Than A Number is coming to a close we must remember to continue advocating for this community. As it is a known fact that the media holds an extreme amount of power over our society I want to hone in on the fact that the incorrect reporting of trans women, especially Black trans women, in the media actually creates a more dangerous environment for their community. I want to continue researching how deadnaming, misnaming, and misgendering in the media actually incites more violence in this community and is extremely damaging. The fight is not yet over or even close to being done.   

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More Than A Number: Gun Violence and How it Disproportionately Impacts Black Trans Women

Itali Marlowe

Itali Marlowe was 29 years old. She is remembered by Sue Kerr, an LGBTQ+ columnist, as a person who “deserved to live a full and robust life.” According to ZORA, she did not grow up in Huston but moved their “when she came of age and where she lived her truth as a proud Trans woman.” Black Trans activist Dee Dee Watters believes that Itali moved to Houston for a fresh start. Not much information of her life has been released to the public but from what we know Itali was living a free and true life in Houston. 

Brianna “BB” Hill

Brianna “BB” Hill was 30 years old. She is remembered as a “beloved member of her community” and a person who “loved spreading joy by sharing funny videos on her Facebook page.” According to ZORA, she was a part of “The Dior Family” in Kansas City. Kris Wade, the executive director of the Justice Project KC, met BB was she was a teenager. He remembers her as a person who “was her authentic self every day.” Kris states that BB preferred to be “called Brianna or BB” though sometimes she spelled her name Breonna, Breona, or BeBe. Those who knew her describe her as “intelligent, with a wicked sense of humor and a quick tongue for comebacks.”

Yahira Nesby

Yahira Nesby was 33 years old. She was from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is remembered by her family and friends as “a good spirit,” “genuinely good people,” and “every time [Nesby was] around [she put a smile on my face and others.”  According to the Human Rights Campaign, she was a “loved member of the New York ball scene, and a member of the House of Chanel.” She was known for her ballroom dancing. She was a “religious woman, who shared videos and powerful words of faith on her social media profiles.” A facebook page that appears to belong to Yahira states that she attended Vance High School and Central Piedmont Community College. 

Monika Diamond

Monika Diamond was 34 years old. She was highly involved in the Charlotte LGBTQ and nightlife community. According to the Human Rights Campaign, she was the “co-owner and founder of an event promotional company, called Ncphyne Promotion Company, as well as the co-CEO of the International Mother of the Year Pageantry System, a pageant that honors LGBTQ+ mothers.” She spent a lot of her adult life creating community and spaces for LGBTQ people in Charlotte. She was a chosen mother to many and was greatly loved. 

Riah Milton

Riah Milton was 25 years old. She is remembered as for her “resilience and optimism as a person facing a transphobic, misogynistic, and racist society.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, she worked as a “home health aide and studied at the University of Cincinnati.” She was a loving sister and aunt who would often post photos of her family. Riah’s sister Ariel Mary Ann states that “Riah was a joyful person.” Her mother remembers her as a person who “loved traveling and being outside.” She was “outgoing, helpful, and someone who always put her family first.”

Merci Mack

Merci Mack was 22 years old. She was remembered by her loved ones as a “beautiful friend.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, her “loved ones shared how beautiful of a friend she was.” On her social medias is it shown that she enjoyed baking and relaxing in the jacuzzi. She worked at a local restaurant and shared how she was excited to return as the shop had closed due to COVID-19. According to the Advocate, her friends and family remember her as an “upbeat person who doted on her niece and nephews.” Ta’tiana Waites, Merci’s longtime friend, states she was “outspoken, generous, and funny.”

Bree Black

Bree Black was 27 years old. Not much information has been released but protesters have made efforts to find out more about her and made an alter in respect of her memory. Tifanny Burks, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward, states that they want to and are trying to get in touch with Bree’s family and friends. Not much information about Bree has been released to the public but protesters are working hard to see that she receives justice she deserves. 

The epidemic of violence that the Trans community sadly face on a day to day basis is no surprise when faced with the reality that there are barely any legal protections for this community. Gun violence is unfortunately one of the many ways this specific community is affected. According to the Human Rights Campaign, “of the more than 150 known victims of anti-transgender violence from 2013 to present, approximately two-thirds of those killed were victims of gun violence.” In fact “three-fourths of homicides against transgender people involved a gun, and nearly eight in ten homicides of Black trans women are by a gun.” There is an alarming pattern occurring with the death of Black trans women and it needs to end. It has been stated by Nik Harris, of the Trans Inclusive Group that “the average life expectancy for a black transwoman is 35 years of age.” This number is shocking and heartbreaking. Reform must be made to protect the precious lives of Black trans women and the trans community as a whole. 

It should be emphasizes as well that these victims are not numbers. They are humans with aspirations and dreams. They deserved a future with their loved ones. In fact the media plays a huge part in this issue. The HRC did a report demonstrating how dehumanization in the media through dead naming, cultural marginalization embedded in society, and denial of correct representation “increased risk factors compound to create a culture of violence.” As stated perfectly by the Human Rights Campaign, “we must demand better from our elected officials and reject harmful anti-transgender legislation appearing at the local, state and federal levels because it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color.” For too long have these women been cast aside. 

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More Than A Number: The Continuing Pattern of Misgendering/Misnaming in the Media and It’s Dangers

 This is a continuation of the list made on the first blog post of black trans women who have been killed due to violence against the trans community and how the media fails to justly represent them. 

Brayla Stone

Brayla Stone was 17 years old. She is remembered by Tori Cooper, HRC director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative as “a child just beginning to live her life.” Her favorite colors were red and purple. "Brayla was someone who always held space for others to be themselves and express their identities," the Center for Artistic Revolution wrote in a post on Facebook. She had a youtube channel and was expressive with creating music. Not much other information is found about her life.

Shaki Peters

Shaki Peters was 32 years old. She was beloved by her family. Nathalie Nia Faulk who was a friend of Shaki Peters' says that Shaki was “consistently laughing, consistently joking, the first person to get up and dance.” She was active in community development and organizing in and around the New Orleans area. According to People, she was a very caring person and would constantly check up on her friends. Faulk says that “She definitely was an inspiration in how she navigated life.”

Tiffany Harris

No Picture Found

Tiffany Harris as known as Dior H Ova. Age unknown. She is remembered as a “beautiful soul full of life and love.” According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, Dior loved shopping and had an obsession with Louis Vuitton. She had a love for fashion as she adored luxury brand names and worked as a personal shopper. She loved watching Desperate Housewives, Nip/Tuck, and Sex and the City.

Queasha D Hardy

Queasha D Hardy was 22 years old. She is remembered as “extremely loved by her community” and as “truly one of a kind.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, Queasha was a hairstylist and was remembered as always doing someone’s hair. Friends described her as loyal, loving, “always smiling,” “the life of all parties” and “truly one of a kind.” She was bright and fun personality as she can be seen spontaneously dancing with friends in a Facebook post made by a close friend of hers.

Kee Sam

Kee Sam. Age unknown. She is remembered by her friends in a loving way. According to the Human Rights Campaign, friends have been remembering Kee Sam on her Instagram page, commenting with heartfelt messages including “this can’t be real,” “I will miss you… you know you in my heart forever” and “rest in love.” So little information about Kee’s life has been released due to the fact that police officials and early media sources have misgendered and misnamed her.

Every single one of these women were misgendered and misnamed in the media. According to HRC research, an estimated 78% of all tracked deaths included misgendering in media or by law enforcement. Misgendering and misnaming trans women in the media has been a constant and terrible issue faced by the trans community. The media has specifically failed all of these women by taking part of this reckless reporting and has the tendency to be carless no matter many efforts have been made to combat this discrimination. Not only is it indecent but there is a deeper emotional and psychological effect that occurs whenever misgendering and misnaming continuously happen. Trans women, and especially black trans women, feel as if their identity doesn’t matter. They feel invalidated and stressed for their mental being. There is also a dangerous effect that our society learns from this lack of ethical reporting. People in our society view the media as such an influential and important factor of our lives that misgendering and misnaming can subject this community to facing harassment and discrimination. It allows people to see that if the media can do it then they can as well. 

Misgendering and misnaming may not seem like it has a large effect but it does. There are enormous consequences that occur from an action like this taken by the media and law enforcement. This leads to very few policies being passed to help protect the trans community specifically these trans women. Already there are very few explicit federal legal protections for transgender or gender-expansive people. One small step like correctly naming and correctly using the gender a person prefers leads to huge actions being taken to combat these discriminations found in our society. The HRC reports that there are ethical guidelines made specifically for media sources so that they correctly report about the trans community ethically. Even though that is true too many sources have failed to have the common curtesy of figuring out a persons preferred pronouns and name. Nathalie Nia Faulk states “the saddest part of this is that we have a protocol for when our people die.” She continues on by emphasizing the fact that, “most people can mourn the dead once they’ve lost someone, but we actually have to fight for our humanity.” How long must it take for us as a society to do better and to actively take measures in combating discrimination along with violence against the trans community. 

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More Than A Number: Blog 4

This is a continuation of the list made on the first blog post of black trans women who have been killed due to violence against the trans community and how the media fails to justly represent them.

Bubba Walker 

Bubba Walker was 55 years old. She was from Charlotte, North Carolina. She is remembered by family and friends as “one of those people who was really fun to be around. She was very kind, and she loved helping people.” Clarabelle Catlin, a North Carolina trans activist and model remembers Bubba as a “kind soul. She was always smiling and was a people person.” She was an active member of Charlotte’s transgender community. Her and Caitlin shared an interest in jewelry. Not a lot of information can be found about her life, but from accounts made by close friends you can tell that she was a bright light and loved by many.

Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe

Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe was 24 years old. She is remembered by her family and friends as having a “bright personality” and someone who “showed love.” Simone Gadson, who grew up with Dime, says that she was “the most loving, happy, joyful, outgoing person you could ever meet.” According to ZORA, she has such a joy and confidence that she taught Jaida Marie, a friend, “not to care what people think and do what you want to do.” She enjoyed laughing with her friends and valued being a happy person. Jaida recalls many great memories with Dime and says that “she was hilarious. That’s what I’m going to miss the most.”

One way that the media has failed Bubba, Dime, and continues to fail so many trans women, is by misgendering her in media and police reports. According to the Humans Right Campaign, Caitlin and other members of the Charlotte community “worked diligently to ensure that Walker’s life and true identity was known and honored across social media.” The Human Rights Campaign also sites that because Dime was misgendered as well as misnamed it delayed the HRC’s awareness of her death. Correctly naming someone’s pronouns in the media, police reports, and in coverage of news should be one of the top priorities when covering a person’s life. It should be something that is considered normal. We see it all over social media in people’s bios. Listing your pronouns and making sure you’re using someone else’s correct pronouns is the least the media can do when honoring a person’s life. If journalists must work hard to get the most accurate amount of coverage when it comes to a story, finding out a person’s correct pronouns should be added onto that list.

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Keke Fantroy

Keke Fantroy was 21 years old. She is remembered by her mother, Rhonda Comer, as having “a heart of gold” and for being “a very loving person.” Comer remembers her daughter as a lion. A woman that represents strength and courage. According to ZORA, Keke loved making others feel loved and “would give you [her] shirt off [her] back if [she] could.” She wss raised in Homestead, Florida and growing up she was not only an older sister but a mentor as well in her family. She was someone who made others laugh. Keke’s family friends Carlesha Durham says that “KeKe learned to lead with respect for others, a kind of deference for the different ways people might live their lives.” She loved sweets, specifically banana pudding. She also had an interst in doing hair or nail professionally. She loved anything that made others look good.

One way the media has failed Keke is that many media outlets misspelled her name. Something as simple as checking the spelling of Keke’s name should not be hard. ZORA took the correct steps are were able to find out the preferred spelling of her name. All they had to do was talk to her family and friends. Theis might not seem like a big deal but a woman should be remembered in the most accurate and correct way possible. The media also has a huge ripple effect and the misspelling of her name leads to another source misspelling her name to another and another until it is totally inaccurate. We need to do better and correct this.

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Bailey Reeves

Bailey Reeves was 17 years old. She would have been starting her senior year of high school. She is remembered as “a person who lived her life to the fullest.” Her sister Taylor Reeves remembers as Bailey always helping her out with hair and makeup. She says that Bailey was “always willing to help anyone who needed it.” According to ZORA, Bailey “loved seeing others feel confident and become the best versions of themselves they could possibly be.” Her family and friends remember her as a person who was brilliant, creative, a champion debater, and a fashion diva. She had aspirations of attending college and becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

One way the media has failed Bailey is by not including her name in headlines and pitting her as a number. A lot of the early media stories headlines name her as the “17th trans person killed.” It’s not until about October that news media sites name her in their headlines. Media forms like The Human Rights Campaign or any site run by the LGBTQ+ community for the LGBTQ+ community do a good job of actually naming Bailey in their large headlines, but this type of diligent work should not just be solely important to LGBTQ+ platforms but main stream media as well. Bailey doesn’t want to be remember as the 17th trans woman to have been killed by gun violence, but as the lively woman she was when she lived.

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Bee Love Slater

Bee Love Slater was 23 years old. She lived in Pahokee, Florida. She is remembered by her loved ones as someone “with a really, really sweet heart” who “never harmed anyone.” According to those closest to her, “she practiced love as a verb.” She chose the name Bee Love for herself when she turned 18. According to ZORA, her family lists that she “loved Beyonce, had a dramatic personality, and was deeply generous to those she loved.” Her friend Gabrielle Lee Hurst says that Bee was very proud about who she was and that she was “just very bold, very brave. She was happy to walk and live her truth.”

One way the media has failed Bee is by deadnaming her. According to Healthline, deadnaming “occurs when someone, intentionally or not, refers to a person who’s transgender by the name they used before they transitioned.” Not only was she deadnamed by initial reports but by law enforcement. The carelessness shown by the media and law enforcement is so disrespectful to Bee and her identity she worked so hard to attain. It is not only dishonoring to her legacy but really just invalidates the life she strived to live. There needs to be a change in media and reporting. Fact checking and reporting correct information needs to be more prioritized when it comes to black trans women because for too long have they had to deal with being discriminated against. At the end of the day this is not just a regular story being reported but a life that needs to be honored correctly. 

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More Than A Number: Blog 3

This is a continuation of the list made on the first blog post of black trans women who have been killed due to violence against the trans community and how the media fails to justly represent them.  

Titi Gulley

Titi Gulley, also known as Tete, was 31 years old. She was loved by her family. She lived in Portland, Oregon. She was a cheerful, helpful, and loving person according to her friends and family. Her mother Kenya Robinson says that she always wanted to help out. She would offer to cook, do her mother’s nails, or take out that trash. She was also at the time trying to make a better life for herself.

One way the media has failed Titi is by failing to represent her story in a timely manner. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until George Floyd’s death that the media felt her death was important enough to report and even then, the reports are very insignificant. Most of her story is based off of rumors and barely anything is mentioned about her life. She is mostly depicted as a homeless trans woman. So much is unclear about her preferred pronouns, the actual spelling of her name, or even how she truly identified.

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Chanel Scurlock

Chanel Scurlock was 23 years old. She was remembered by a friend as “living her life as she wanted” and being “unapologetically correct about her feelings and expectations of herself.” According to ZORA, Chanel aspired to be a makeup artist and clothing designer. She had goals to eventually “formally study fashion at an institution.” She was very loved by her mother and the two were “nearly together everyday.”

Denali Berries Stuckey

Denali Berries Stuckey was 29 years old. She is remembered by her family. “I lost my best friend” wrote her cousin. According to ZORA, Denali is remember in many ways by her loved ones - “her devotion to her family, her outgoing personality, her unique style, and her dancing.” She had a passion for cooking and loved not only cooking, but eating soul food. She was a nail technician and “hoped someday to open her own hair and nail salon.” She had a close relationship with her mother and was described by her mother as a person who “had a nice personality, was loving and caring.”

One way the media has failed Chanel and Denali is by continuously misgendering and misnaming them. According to the Human Rights Campaign, both the police and media continued to misgender Chanel “even after being made aware of her transgender identity.” Denali as well was misgendered and misnamed in initial reports of coverage of the crime. Not only is this blatantly disrespectful but it really emphasizes the impertinent treatment that the transgender community face too often in our society.  

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Zoe Spears

Zoe Spears was 23 years old. According to Ruby Corado, a transgender advocate and founder of Casa Ruby, Zoe was “very bright and very full of life.” Zoe viewed both Ruby and Ruby’s fiancé, Shannon Wilkins, as a mother and father. According to ZORA, Ruby and Shannon shared a love of hero movies, specifically Avengers: Endgame. When she was living at Casa Ruby, she enjoyed eating pizza and listening to her favorite rap artist, Snow Tha Product. You can tell Zoe was such a kind and infectious person as Ruby says that she “couldn’t help but love her. She was just so much fun, and I couldn’t resist her personality.”

One way the media has failed Zoe and many other transgender women, especially black transgender women, is by exploiting their deaths. Specifically, in Zoe’s case gruesome details of her death were shared and the narrative of her story often unnecessarily mentions that she was a sex worker. Many details speaking about these women are more about their deaths, how they died, and what led to their deaths than remembering them.

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Brooklyn Lindsey

Brooklyn Lindsey was 32 years old. She is mourned and missed by her friends and family. According to ZORA, Brooklyn “was best known for being bubbly and upbeat.” Kris Wade, the director of The Justice Project of Kansas City, remembers Brooklyn to be a “very, very, sweet person. [She had a] very sweet nature. Funny. Intelligent. She understood common courtesy, the art of conversation.” She was very loved as others recall her in the same way and as well as woman who left a positive impression.

One way the media has failed Brooklyn is by barely having any information about her seen in the media and even how she is so insignificantly portrayed. There is a huge double standard when it comes to how society tends to represents a white male in the media who has been killed verses a black trans woman who has been killed. You often hear about the man’s life, what he accomplished, and how successful he was, but for for many trans women, and especially black trans women, you do not hear that whatsoever. You only hear about their struggles and what lead them to their death often forgetting to focus on the fact that these women are more than that. People have to go out of their way to find even the smallest amount of information when it comes to the passing of a person in the trans community. 

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Tracy Single

Tracy Single was 22 years old. She is remembered by Monica Roberts, a Houston-based transgender advocate, who says that Tracy was “taken away from us way too soon.” According to ZORA, Tracy loved makeup and fashion. She would style her friends for drag as well as fashion shows and experimented “with nontraditional ways to create fun new looks for herself and her friends.” Courtney Sellers, the executive director of MGP (an evening drop-in center for youth experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity), says that Tracy was “so confident. I really admired that about her. She truly lived her life in a way that I wish I could live my own — without fear of being judged.”

The media has failed Tracy and many others by labeling her as a number. Tracy is mainly seen as the “16th trans person to be murdered in the US.” So many news outlets and articles number these women to create a shocking effect to the public but in turn sacrifices respectfully remembering these women as individuals. When you think about it would you rather be remembered as a number that seems to unfortunately be increasing or as a person who lived a full life. For me, and I’m sure anyone, would rather be remembered by the details of their life than be grouped into a statistic.  

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More Than A Number:Blog 2

The next six blog posts will cover each of the 32 women on the list from my first blog post. I will talk about them more thoroughly and talk not only about their lives but how the media has failed them. 

REMEMBERING:

Dana Martin

Dana Martin was 31 years old. According to the Human Rights Campaign and an Alabama-based trans advocate named Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, Dana was “a person loved by many.” She lived in Hull Hope, Alabama and was very well known in the transgender community of Birmingham and Montgomery according to Meta Ellis, the director of Montgomery Pride United. According to ZORA, Dana loved watching movies, specifically dramas and thrillers. She enjoyed shopping in her past time as well as taking walks and working out. Her friend Stasha Nicole speaks highly of their friendship and said Dana took a while to warm up to people but that “when she did extend her friendship, she did so with her whole heart.”

One way the media has failed Dana’s story is by initially misgendering her. Not only was she misgendered by multiple media reports but by law enforcement officials as well. Because of this lack sensitivity and lack of carefulness it delayed the awareness of her community and institutions like the Human Rights Campaign who strive to bring justice for her.

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Ashanti Carmon

Ashanti Carmon was 27 years old. She was engaged to Phillip Williams who remembers her as someone who "did not deserve to leave this Earth so early, especially in the way that she went out.” She lived in Alexandria, Virginia with her fiance. According to ZORA and Earline Budd, who is a case manager at HIPS, Ashanti often came to visit and cared about many young girls in HIPS, a nonprofit organization that provides education, advocacy, and harm reduction resources for sex workers in the D.C. community. Earline described Ashanti as a woman who was “vibrant, young, and full of life.” In her free time, she was getting her hair done with her friend Donshia Predeoux. She was known as a kind woman with a bright smile.

One way the media has failed her is by grouping her into a plethora of statistics of trans women that have been killed. Nothing is said about her life story or how she lived as a hardworking woman. The only details shown are of her death and even then, that is insignificant.

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Claire Legato

Claire Legato was 21 years old. She was remembered by friends and family as someone who was “full of life.” She lived in Cleveland, Ohio and was described as a “conciliator” by her friend Fred Hunt. According to ZORA he talks about how “she loved helping people — regardless of circumstances — and how she helped to bring him out of his shell.” No matter what she “She brought comfort to those close to her.” She was a prankster and enjoyed cosmetology, reality TV, and music. She was an avid musician and dancer.  

One way the media has failed in representing her is by not even naming her in certain articles. She is only talked about as a “21 year old transgender woman.” She is more than her age and she has a name. By not naming Claire it dehumanizes her in the eyes of the public making it easier to forget her as yet another black trans woman that was killed.

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Muhlaysia Booker

Muhlaysia Booker was 23 years old. She was remembered as “such a beautiful spirit taken took soon” and as a woman who “lived her life and loved all of who she was.” She lived in Dallas, Texas. Brooker was courageous and did not tolerate violence. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Brooker was at a press conference and “courageously spoke out against the violence she experienced.” She had a passion for broadcast journalism and had “hoped to one day pursue a career in it” said Muhlaysia’s friend Jessica Anderson.

Michelle “Tamika” Washington.

Michelle “Tamika” Washington was 40 years old. She is remembered by loved ones as a “beloved sister and mother.” She lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  According to ZORA, she “worked with the Office of LGBT Affairs to learn how she could mentor young Trans women using her own life experiences as her guide.” She connected with people through her humor and “loved being a prankster” said her friend Sharron L. Cook. She was a loving woman and “informally adopted those who needed guidance and was known to be a nurturing and caring individual.” She is remembered by her children as an amazing “gay mother,” which is a person who fosters people in the LGBTQ+ who were disowned by their families.

Paris Cameron

Paris Cameron was 20 years old. She lived in Detroit, Michigan. She was a beloved friend and according to her loved one she was “very sensitive, compassionate, protective, and loving.” She loved dancing, cooking, and cosmetology. According to ZORA, Paris loved voguing specifically the style called Dramatics. Her cousin Lemon Hudson remembers her as someone who “was more than a person—she was a star, and no one can ever take that away from her.”

Like Claire Legato, the media failed to represent these three women Muhlaysia Booker, Michelle “Tamika” Washington, and Paris Camreon by having many of their headlines not name them. Many articles only refer to Muhlaysia as “black trans woman that was killed.” Michelle just happens to be a “black transgender woman” that was shot, and Paris is grouped into a “homicide targeting the LGBTQ community.” Although this may not seem like a big deal it’s the small details that count and these women deserve more than to be grouped as an “unfortunate event.”

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About This Blog!

Welcome! This blog series is going to be about how violence against black trans women is barely represented in the media as well as how the media tends to misrepresent these women. This will be a 7 part series so watch out for blog post number 2! My goal with this blog is to bring light to all these women who have recently passed and portray them as more than a number. The media tends to only portray these women as an unfortunate sum that is growing and I want to change that narrative. I want this blog to represent these women in a correct way. I want you to hear their names, see their stories, and view them as more than an increasing statistic. 

From the last blog I posted, I put together a list of black trans women who were killed between 2019 and 2020 from the violence that surrounds our society against trans women, especially black trans women. The upcoming blog posts will cover each of the women on that list more thoroughly and talk not only about their lives but how the media has failed them. 

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More Than A Number: why violence against black trans women is barely in the media

 In the past two years violence among the black trans community has increasingly been brought into the light of the media. When I use the term “increasingly”, I use that term very lightly as this small amount of media coverage has only slightly grown compared to the nonexistent media coverage of the black trans community in the past, especially coverage on black trans women. The real question I have, and I’m sure many people have, is why it took until there was a vast amount of death and violence in the trans community, specifically against black trans women, for the media to represent this community. Even now there is barely any news about black trans women other than to report their deaths and even that is very insufficient. Even with coverage the media tends to only portray these women as numbers. Reporting them as statistics that happen to be increasing. They turn into a hashtag. Into a trend until eventually these women are grouped into a narrative and then forgotten or looked over as an unfortunate event. These women are more than a number and to solely just view them as a statistic is extremely dangerous as it feeds into the erasure of black trans women. These women are people. They belong to families. They are daughters, mothers and partners. They deserve the coverage of a normal human being because that is what they are.

Representation for black trans women in the public is barely even visible in the eyes of the media. Something as important as safety for this community and something that should be seen as a human right is barely even given to them in the media. The fact that some of these women are even being reported in the news and media is partially due to the Black Lives Matter movement going on currently. Not because the world thought it was right but because the black community has stood up and said that it is time for them to be represented correctly. Society as a whole has started to be held accountable for ignoring black voices. This raises the question of why violence against black trans women is not being reported in main forums of media? Especially largely utilized media forms like the national news we watch on television or in the papers. This also reinforces the fact that the Black Lives Matter movement is so essential for not only the representation of the black community but for black trans women who are already viewed as less than a person. The only real form of media, I have personally seen, that has slightly represented black trans women is on social media. I see it through threads on twitter or insta story posts but shouldn’t a large pattern of death in an entire community be seen as news that should be reported on a national level or on forums of media that are supposed to inform the public daily. Even then the coverage of black trans women should go beyond reporting their death rate. They should show these women living, accomplishing, and thriving. Correct and equal representation is such an important action that should be taken into consideration when it comes to the lives of a large community. Because the media has only represented these women as a statistic, I want everyone reading this to know the names of the black trans women who have recently passed so you are able to hear part of their story and so that they are seen as more than just a number.

Dana Martin. She was 31 years old. According to the Human Rights Campaign and an Alabama-based trans advocate named Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd, Dana was “a person loved by many”

Ashanti Carmon. She was 27 years old. She was engaged to Phillip Williams who said that “She did not deserve to leave this Earth so early, especially in the way that she went out.”

Claire Legato. She was 21 years old. She was remembered by friends and family as someone who was “full of life.”

Muhlaysia Booker. She was 23 years old. She was remembered as “such a beautiful spirit taken took soon” and as a woman who “lived her life and loved all of who she was.”

Michelle “Tamika” Washington. She was 40 years old. She is remembered by loved ones as a “beloved sister and mother.”

Paris Cameron. She was 20 years old. She was a beloved friend.

Titi Gulley. She was 31 years old. She was loved by her family.

Chanel Scurlock. She was 23 years old. She was remembered by a friend as “living her life as she wanted” and being “unapologetically correct about her feelings and expectations of herself.”

Zoe Spears. She was 23 years old. According to Ruby Corado, a transgender advocate and founder of Casa Ruby, Zoe was “very bright and very full of life.”

Brooklyn Lindsey. She was 32 years old. She is mourned and missed by her friends and family.

Denali Berries Stuckey. She was 29 years old. She is remembered by her family. “I lost my best friend” wrote her cousin.

Tracy Single. She was 22 years old. She is remembered by Monica Roberts, a Houston-based transgender advocate, who says that Tracy was “taken away from us way too soon.”

Bubba Walker. She was 55 years old. She is remembered by family and friends as “one of those people who was really fun to be around. She was very kind, and she loved helping people.”

Kiki Fantroy. She was 21 years old. She is remembered by her mother as having “a heart of gold” and for being “a very loving person”

Pebbles LaDime “Dime” Doe. She was 24 years old. She is remembered by her family and friends as having a “bright personality” and someone who “showed love.”

Bailey Reeves. She was 17 years old. She is remembered as “a person who lived her life to the fullest.”

Bee Love Slater. She was 23 years old. She is remembered by her loved ones as someone “with a really, really sweetheart” who “never harmed anyone”

Itali Marlowe. She was 29 years old. She is remembered by Sue Kerr, an LGBTQ+ columnist, as a person who “deserved to live a full and robust life.”

Brianna “BB” Hill. She was 30 years old. She is remembered as a “beloved member of her community” and a person who “loved spreading joy by sharing funny videos on her Facebook page.”

Yahira Nesby. She was 33 years old. She is remembered by her family and friends as “a good spirit.”

Layleen Polanco. She was 27 years old. She is remembered as “a sweet, amazing [..] and generous human being.”

Monika Diamond. She was 34 years old. She was highly involved in the Charlotte LGBTQ and nightlife community.

Nina Pop. She was 28 years old. She was “deeply loved by her family, friends, and community.”

Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells. She was 27 years old. She is remembered by a friend as a “unique and beautiful soul.”

Riah Milton. She was 25 years old. She is remembered as for her “resilience and optimism as a person facing a trasphobic, mysoginistic, and racist society.”

Brayla Stone. She was 17 years old. She is remembered by Tori Cooper, HRC director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative as “a child just beginning to live her life.”

Merci Mack. She was 22 years old. She was remembered by her loved ones as a “beautiful friend.”

Shaki Peters. She was 32 years old. She was beloved by her family.

Bree Black. She was 27 years old. Not much information has been released but protesters are fighting for her justice.

Dior H Ova. Age unknown. She is remembered as a “beautiful soul full of life and love.”

Queasha D Hardy. She was 22 years old. She is remembered as “extremely loved by her community” and as “truly one of a kind.”

Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears. She was 32 years old. She was beloved by her family and remembered as a “vibrant personality.”

Too long have these stories been misreported or even unreported. A change must be made to not only the media system but the justice system. Say their names, tell their stories, and most importantly view these women as more than just a number.