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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   3678 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of November 24, 2025

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This one is going to be long, so I'll probably break it up into two halves for easier reading.

We hear a lot about “Transgender Day/Week of Remembrance” and hate-crimes/murders affecting transgender people. Figures get reported uncritically in the media and, more importantly, on social media. But how accurate are they?

I’m going to go through a 2024 report from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, where they call it an “epidemic of violence”. Then I’ll list the names they give of transgender people who were killed in 2023/2024 and what I’ve found online reported on the deaths.

That will let us see, at least, if people really are being murdered wholesale simply for being trans, or if it’s simply for the same reasons people have been murdered throughout history.

Make up your own minds. I’m not doing this for any agenda pro- or anti-anything, except for having accuracy (as much as we can get it) as to who is getting killed and for what reasons (if there are reasons to be established). (I like this new phrase, “gender expansive”. Must remember that is the correct term to use in future).

Several of these cases are to do with “victim was sex worker/may have been engaged in sex work/may have had criminal ties”. Several are “current/former romantic partner”.

The Epidemic of Violence Against the Transgender & Gender-Expansive Community in the U.S.
The 2024 Report
Human Rights Campaign Foundation, November 2024

The epidemic of violence against transgender and gender-expansive people is a national tragedy. Each life stolen from us in this way is the result of a society that demeans and devalues anyone who dares challenge the gender binary. This year, we’ve seen an explosion of violent and hateful rhetoric aimed at the LGBTQ+ community—words that make both physical violence and discriminatory legislation more palatable for those in need of a scapegoat. This is one of many reasons why, last year, HRC declared a State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ people for the first time in our over 40-year history.

Since the day after the last Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, 2023, at least 36 transgender and gender-expansive people have been killed in the U.S.

So this is everyone who was deliberately murdered solely for being transgender, no other reason? Well, no:

Between January 2013 and October 2024, the FBI recorded 16 fatal hate crimes committed against trans and gender-expansive people, including bias-motivated deaths categorized as murder, manslaughter, or negligent manslaughter, far fewer than the 372 deaths recorded by HRC.

The discrepancy is due to the fact that ‘hate crime’ carries a legal definition—albeit one which differs between jurisdictions and across state and federal regulations. In addition, not all jurisdictions collect and report hate crimes data to the FBI, meaning that the FBI’s database is not exhaustive.

A case does not have to be categorized as a hate crime to be included in our reporting. Rather, we include those cases where bias, hate, and structural violence and stigma played a role in the killing of individuals, including indirectly through fostering the conditions in which the death occurred (e.g. if a person was killed while engaging in survival sex work, after being pushed out of the formal economy).

So basically – if you were trans/gender non-conforming/cis gender non-conforming and you died by violence, you get counted in the list of “anti-trans hate”. Yes, even if you got whacked in gang-related crime or were shot by a random shooter who was in a quarrel with a completely different person or got knocked down in a hit-and-run:

Victim Identification

We do not include every death of a transgender, gender-nonconforming, or non-binary person. To be included:

• The death must have occurred in the United States, including Puerto Rico and Outlying American territories.
o Deaths that occur in other countries, even if the victims are Americans, are not included.
• The death must have been committed by another person, either directly or through contributions to the circumstances that resulted in the death.
o This means that suicides and death from illness and substance use are not included.
• The cause of death must be confirmed by authorities to be a homicide and/or caused by another person.
o “Authorities” includes official statements (or press reports of official statements) from law enforcement and/or lawyers and advocates involved in the case.
• Violence, including structural violence, must also be a component of the circumstances, even if the perpetrator did not set out to kill the victim.
o Thus, deaths due to robbery/burglary, hit-and-run and vehicular homicide, and deaths which occur at the hands of the police/while in police or law enforcement custody, are included, in addition to deaths from homicide and manslaughter.

…Identification of cases
We include victims who identify as transgender, non-binary, gender-expansive, or some other non-cisgender identity at the time of their death, or who were gender-expansive in their gender presentation, or who were cisgender but presumed to be trans.

…Expanding our inclusion criteria – inclusion of non-trans victims
As noted above,this year’s report now includes people who are cisgender and gender non-conforming in their gender expression/presentation, as well as those who were presumed to be trans and whose presentation or the presumption thereof was a motivating factor in their death. The decision to expand our inclusion criteria was made in acknowledgement that these victims lost their lives to the same transphobic forces, and thus should be memorialized and included in discussions of the epidemic of anti-trans violence.

…Data collection

The information presented in this report reflects the most recently available data on all included cases, as identified to the best of our ability.

Data on each case are gathered daily through review of news reports, police reports, case records, and discussions with local advocates and loved ones of the victims.

All information is then recorded in an internal database and reviewed on a quarterly basis to confirm accuracy and update with emergent information as available.

Because new details may emerge as cases work their way through the justice system, and as law enforcement agencies release new information, data in this report may not always reflect what was noted in original reporting, or what may emerge in the future.”

I’m putting the descriptions in quotation marks because I’m taking them as-is from the website, sometimes the people involved used different names or gender identities.

Deaths that occurred in 2023:

Amiri Reid “a Black trans woman” and Kejuan Richardson “a gender-expansive gay Black man” (I’m putting these two together because they happened at the same time). Shot while driving around by Jorezno Philips. Motive: unknown, suspect committed suicide before he could be arrested. Could be personal quarrel with either or both, could be crime-related, could just be ‘picked a target at random and started shooting’. Hard to say it is specifically anti-trans hate crime unless he knew either or both of them, and we don’t know that.

Jean Butchart, “26 year old white transgender man, fatally shot in a mobile home park duing a series of violent incidents”. Exactly what it says there, except the shooter didn’t specifically go after Butchart: he got into an “altercation” with a resident of the park, came back days later with a gun and started shooting at them, and Butchart appears to have been collateral damage.

Savannah Ryan Williams, “38-year-old Cuban and Native transgender woman”. This one probably is trans-related, because the killer’s defence was “trans panic” (after having sex, he shot this person).

Meghan Riley-Lewis, “57-year-old transgender woman”. This one is odd, because it might be? Or might not be? Lewis was shot by a food delivery driver who claimed he acted in self-defence because Lewis attacked him for misgendering her. Yeah. This one is a toss-up.

Amber Minor, “40-year-old Black trans woman”. Investigation is ongoing, since the deceased was found shot dead in the driveway. Most coverage is about the police department deadnaming her, so clearly it wasn’t immediately obvious this person was trans. So with no arrest, no idea what the motive was.

Deaths that occurred in 2024:

Kitty Monroe, “43-year-old Latine transgender person”, went by male birth name as well as female trans identity. Killed in fatal hit and run. Sister claims Monroe had been attacked previously for their gender identity. Motive? Unknown: “Family members said police have informed them Lugo was accidentally struck by multiple vehicles after a black Ford F-150 appears to have purposely hit him following a fight near the Casa de Licores liquor store.” So maybe revenge for the fight, maybe for being trans, who knows?

Righteous “TK” Chevy Hill, “35-year-old Black transman”. Mother alleges it was a cousin who shot him, so probably that was the motivation (you have to read down a bit in this article, but the cousin seems to have been a deadbeat that Hill was helping out, but pushed his luck too far and Hill told him to get lost and that kicked it off).

Diamond Brigman, “a Black 26-year-old trans woman”. Killed while standing on the side of the road by a guy who drove up, got out, and shot her. Arrested but no motive given. So was it for being trans, did the suspect know her, what?

Alex Franco, “21-year-old transgender man”. This one is sort of sad but again, more likely to be stupid gang shit than transphobia. Victim knew or was ‘friends of friends’ with these kids, was allegedly going to buy a gun off them and they allegedly intended to rob him, and ended up shot dead.

Meraxes Medina, “24-year-old Latina transgender woman”. Murdered by unknown suspect who is wanted for murder of two sex workers. So again, more to do with streetwalker prostitution being dangerous.

África (Emma) Parrilla García, “ 25-year-old transgender woman”, found shot on street in Puerto Rico, deadnamed at first so very scanty details. No idea as to who or why behind the killing.

Tee “Lagend Billions” Arnold, “a 36-year-old Black transgender man”. Shot outside bowling alley at 1:30 a.m. Female suspect who knew him is wanted. Might be for reasons to do with disputes/quarrels, as he claimed there was a price on his head.

River Nevaeh Goddard, 17 year old white non-binary person (she/they pronouns). Seems to have been killed in a domestic dispute by boyfriend with mental health issues. Another sad story but you can’t call it anti-trans or hate crime.

Andrea Doria Dos Passos, “a 37-year-old transgender woman”. Homeless at the time, beaten to death while sleeping on the street. Guy who did it clearly a loon of some sort, motive unknown.

Sasha Williams, “36-year-old multiracial transgender woman”, stabbed in the street by a guy later arrested and charged. Mental health issues on his part, no motive known.

Starr Brown, “a Black transgender woman” but who also seems to have gone by/been known by birth name. Shot by co-worker while driving home after work (passenger in co-worker’s car which was later found crashed with the body inside). No motive given but it’s unlikely to have been due to transgender identity.

Kita Bee, “a 46-year-old transgender Black woman”, killed in hit-and-run. Seems to have been ordinary traffic accident, no other reason.

Reyna Hernandez,” a 54-year-old Latina transgender woman”. Killed by an allegedly abusive ex-partner after she called on him to finalise the breakup; he shot her then drove the body to Mexico and left it tied to a tree in a cemetery. Again, good old-fashioned domestic violence rather than trans hate crime.

Brandon “Tayy Dior” Thomas, “a 17-year-old Black transgender girl”. Another murder by boyfriend.

Michelle Henry, “a 25-year-old Black transgender woman”. Killed in her home by a “female suspect”, but unknown if this was roommate, partner, what, who was later released.

Yella (Robert) Clark Jr, “ a 45-year-old Black transgender person”. Serving life sentence in Angola prison, killed in an “altercation”. Being trans possibly had something to do with this, because prison, sexual assault, had killed an inmate previously for allegedly raping them, the whole nine yards. PRISON IS NOT A SAFE PLACE TO BE, IT'S FULL OF VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND THUGS.

Jazlynn Johnson, “an 18-year-old transgender teenager”. Another sad story, shot by friend while they were in the car. Probably accidental, the reports don’t indicate he intended to do this.

Liara Tsai, “a 35-year-old white transgender woman”. Body found in crashed car, ex-girlfriend (who, again, likely has mental health issues) was convicted for the stabbing.

Pauly Likens, “a 14-year-old transgender girl”. This one is bad. The child (14 is a child, don’t give me none of your lip) went missing walking home from a friend’s house in the late evening/early night. Dismembered body later found in reservoir. Guy charged with the murder claims to have met the kid on Grindr but suddenly developed a poor memory as to what might or might not have happened. Seems they met up for sex, then our charmer here killed them and disposed of the body. Let me go off on a tangent here about 14 IS TOO GODDAMN YOUNG and maybe the kid was gay not trans and THIS IS WHY AGE VERIFICATION ON SEX/PORN SITES YOU MAROONS YOU MAY NOT LIKE IT BUT THIS IS THE HELL WHY.

Shannon Boswell, “a 30-year-old Black transgender woman”. This one is a bit of a mystery; initially, it was thought she was killed by a hit-and-run, then it turns out she was shot as well. No idea who or why as yet.

Kenji Z. Spurgeon, “, a 23-year-old Black transgender woman”. Shot on the street in the early hours of the morning, it’s unclear what happened as police are still looking for a suspect. She was found lying on the ground after police responded to reports of gunshots in a car park.

Monique Brooks, “a 49-year-old Black transgender woman”, found shot beside her car in a factory parking lot. Someone was arrested but motive is unclear; it might have been a targeted job over drugs or God knows what, Brooks may not even have been the target.

Dylan Gurley, “a 20 year old a transgender woman”. Found stabbed, was homeless at the time. Suspect is guy who was living in the squat with her and probably thought she stole money from him.

Tai’Vion Latham, “ a 24-year-old Black transgender woman”. Found shot dead in an alley. No suspect as yet, so no motive.

Vanity Williams, “a 34-year-old Black transgender woman”. Found shot in the lobby of her apartment building, suspect allegedly knew her but nothing more is given, so no idea as to motive.

Redd (Barbie), “a 25-year-old Black transgender woman”. Again, another bystander victim; a couple of groups of people were hanging out on the street, a guy came up to talk to a woman in a different group, left, came back, and started shooting.

Kassim Omar, “a 29-year-old Black trans woman”. Shot by two teenagers in her apartment building (who had previously been “harassing her due to her gender identity and sexuality”), left paralysed, died two years later and so the teens have been charged with murder.

Honee Daniels, “a 37-year-old Black trans woman”, killed in a hit-and-run while walking home.

Santonio “San” Coleman, “a 48-year-old Black gender non-conforming person”. Found critically injured on a trail. First thought to be a homicide, now it might be an accidental fall. So not sure if this even counts as death by violence for their statistics.

Quanesha Shantel (“Cocoa”), “a 26-year-old Black trans woman”. Shot and killed by ex-boyfriend. She wanted to break up, he didn’t, so can you say he killed her out of transphobia?

There we are: 36 deaths, but how many of them would you count as genuine anti-trans hate crime violence epidemic? I'm not trying to deny transphobia and hate crimes exist, just point out that the next time you see "X trans deaths! our society is homophobic and transphobic, this proves it!", that may not be the exact motive for murder instead of the traditional ones of greed, lust, revenge, etc. that happen to straight white cis people too.

I thought it was fairly accepted amongst those who look semi-critically that the majority of anti-Trans violence was brought on by some mix of streetwalking, gay panic and the like. Which these seem to just about align to for the most part. It is pretty striking how high a proportion of the victims are Black.

It is pretty striking how high a proportion of the victims are Black.

I presume it tracks the murder rate by ethnicity among US population as a whole.

The interesting thing seems to be that for the trans population as a whole, while it's the white people who make the most noise about it, the majority are going to be BIPOC and poor(er) and hence the sex work. Rather the same dispute as about gayness (wealthy white men are presumed to be the majority, this is not so) or feminism (the whole breaking away of mujerismo, womanism and black feminism in response to the same complaints about 'middle-class white women are not representation').

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