32 Year Old Black Trans Woman Charm Wilson Killed in Cleveland

Charm_Wilson

Charm Wilson was a 32 year old Black trans woman living in Cleveland. On Thursday September 8, 2023, she was struck and killed by a car in her hometown. The driver was taken into police custody, but there is no word on charges being filed. The media has misgendered and deadnamed Charm. Charm was born […]

22-year-old Asia Jynaé Foster shot to death in Houston on Trans Day of Remembrance

On November 20, Asia Jynai Foster was killed. Asia was 22 years old and a Black trans woman living in Houston, Texas. November 20 was also the Trans Day of Remembrance, an international observation of trans neighbors who have been killed. According to Outsmart A 22-year-old Black transgender woman was shot and killed in west […]

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) 2020 Honors 37 Trans Neighbors Lost

TDOR Transgender Collage

“It may be a sad song but we’re gonna sing it again. I will continue to fight and push for the voices of black transgender women to be uplifted until the day I die. We deserve to be heard, to be loved, and for our very existence to be acknowledged.” —Riah Milton’s sister, Ariel Mary […]

Three Additional Trans and Gender Nonconforming Murders Come to Light Just Before TDOR

A horrifying discovery this night before Trans Day of Remembrance – reports of the violent deaths of three more gender non-conforming and trans neighbors came to light. Thank you to The Advocate for excellent reporting on heartbreaking and tragic stories. Photo of Yunieski Carey Herrera via The Advocate Miami transgender performer and activist Yunieski Carey […]

Read This –> Op-Ed: Cleveland is an Epicenter for America’s Trans Murder Crisis

Transgender Murder Cleveland

It is both an honor and horrifying to be cited in an essay like this one, exploring the realities of the pandemic of violence Transgender American experience. I have only been documenting through my ‘In Memoriam’ series since 2013, but you can find much more data and personal details on the TDOR website, going back […]

Claire Legato, 21, of Cleveland is 3rd Black Trans Woman Murdered in the US in 2019

Claire Legato

Claire Legato was a 21-year-old Black trans woman living in Cleveland when she was shot  April 15 after an argument broke out between her mother and John Booth, the suspected shooter. She was taken to a nearby hospital and died from her injuries on May 14. A warrant has been issued for Booth. Claire was from […]

Keisha Wells of Cleveland is 14th Trans Person Killed in 2018

Just hours after writing about Cathalina Christina James’ homicide in Jacksonville, FL comes word of another sister whose life was taken. 58 year old Keisha Wells of Cleveland was found dead on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland early in the morning of Sunday, June 24. Please note that the primary source uses Keisha’s deadname as does […]

Suspect Identified in Shooting Death of Pittsburgh Native, Black Trans Woman Phylicia Mitchell

Phylicia Coulson Brown

On February 24, a Pittsburgh native was shot to death in broad daylight outside her Cleveland residence. Her name was Phylicia Mitchell and she was a Black trans woman who had relocated to Cleveland after growing up on Pittsburgh’s Northside. She was 46. Tonight comes word that Cleveland police have identified a suspect in her […]

Pgh Native Phylicia Mitchell, 46, is 5th Trans Person to be Killed in 2018

Phylicia Coulson Brown

This past Friday, February 23, 2018, Phylicia Mitchell was shot and killed in front her Cleveland home at 6 PM in the evening. She was shot about 6 p.m. Friday on West 112th Street near Detroit Avenue, in the Edgewater neighborhood of Cleveland, according to police reports.  No arrests have been made and the shooting remains […]

Brad, 33, is a Gay, Black Man Who Does Charity Work as a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence #AMPLIFY

gay black man pittsburgh

We talked for maybe 20 seconds, and he invited me to the first group meeting of the semester. It was all quick and mundane, but my mind lingered on him afterwards as I thought, “This is a man, and he is gay. He is a gay man.” It wasn’t even about sex, just the idea that a man could be gay and live his life without shame.