HRC is horrified to learn of the death of Angel Unique, whom some reports identify as Angel Haynes, a 25-year-old Black transgender woman who was killed in Memphis, Tenn. Angel, who was a licensed cosmetologist, was killed early in the morning on Sunday, October 25 as the result of a gunshot wound. Her death is believed to be at least the 34th violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person this year in the U.S. We say “at least” because too often these deaths go unreported — or misreported.
HRC has officially recorded more violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people than any year since we began tracking this violence in 2013. Previously, the highest known number of fatal deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people over a 12-month period was in 2017, when we reported 31 people violently killed.
“We have lost yet another Black trans woman to deadly violence in this country,” said HRC Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative Tori Cooper. “Despite the fact that we are living through the coronavirus pandemic, transgender and gender non-conforming people are also still facing an epidemic of violence. We are also living in an extremely vitriolic period, where hate, prejudice, racism and transphobia are fueled by many in power. This is contributing to a rise in animosity and an increase in fatal violence against trans and gender non-conforming people. We need our allies to take action to support us today and every day. As we mourn Angel’s loss along with her friends and family, we will continue working for an end to this senseless violence.” Read more via HRC
Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in 2020
Sadly, 2020 has already seen at least 34 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means, the majority of which were Black and Latinx transgender women. We say at least because too often these stories go unreported -- or misreported. Since HRC began tracking this data in 2013, advocates have never seen such a high number at this point in the year.
These victims, like all of us, are loving partners, parents, family members, friends and community members. They worked, went to school and attended houses of worship. They were real people -- people who did not deserve to have their lives taken from them.
As HRC continues to work toward justice and equality for transgender and gender non-conforming people, we mourn those we have lost in 2020 Read more via HRC