Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The Crime

Amber Minor, 40, was killed in Raytown, Missouri on Christmas Eve. She was a Black trans woman. Furthermore, her death brings the total for 2023 to 44.

At 8:35 a.m. on Dec. 24, officers were dispatched to the 9800 block of 77th Terrace on a report of a body lying in a driveway. When officers arrived, they found a victim that had suffered an apparent gunshot wound. Minor was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Kansas City Star.

In this case, there is no word yet on a suspect.

Next month, she would have celebrated her birthday in late February.

Raytown police are investigating the incident and are asking anyone with information to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-8477.

The police and local media outlets initially misgendered and used the name assigned at birth to reference Amber. Her friends were swift to correct them alongside GLAAD and the Kansas City LGBTQ Commission.

Honoring Amber

Amber grew up in Kansas City. According to her childhood best friend, Tre’Shawn Roberts, Amber knew at an early age that she wanted to transition. First, Amber and Tre’Shawn came out as gay men in their teens. Both knew transitioning would be difficult in the 1990s. Nevertheless, they pursued this dream.

According to Tre’Shawn, Amber spent some time in foster care and was also raised by her grandmother who lived near Tre’Shawn’s family. Tre’Shawn’s family took Amber under their wing as she navigated a world that was especially not accepting of trans women.

According to the Kansas City Star

“We built up a strong outer appearance where we didn’t give a f— about how anyone looked at us, felt about us, or thought about us,” Roberts said. “It wasn’t their life they had to live, it was our life. And if you didn’t like it, f— you. It didn’t matter who it was.”

“There were no exclusions,” Roberts said. “Even though we were excluded from many things.”

Kym Walton, another trans woman longtime friend of Amber, said she had a hard life. Kym told the Kansas City Star:

More than a decade ago, she was shot in the stomach and stayed with Walton for a while as she recovered. And in recent years, Walton said, she was hit by a car and “shot in the neck.”

A few years ago, Amber dedicated her birthday to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She doesn’t have a significant social media presence under her own name so I don’t know what she liked, her favorites, or how she spent her time. Was she alone before and while she died? Did she misplace her trust in her killers or were they unknown to her? Whose music made her dance?

The Context

Amber was more than the latest Black trans woman murdered in this epidemic of violence. Her death matters because she was a human being, she was our neighbor. At the same time, her identity is a critical factor to consider. Amber is the 44th trans, gender nonconforming, and non binary individual murdered in the US during 2023. She is also the 34th trans woman on this list, the 19th Black trans woman, and the 24th Black trans person on this list. As of now, a trans person has been murdered every 8.4 days in 2023.

Further, Amber is the second Black trans woman murdered from Kansas City, Missouri. Dee Dee Kandii Redd was stabbed to death on July 22, 2022.

Since learning of her death,yhe Kansas City LGBTQ Commission and the City LGBTQ Liaison have been actively working to gather information and address the misgendering. They report that Amber was cremated after no one claimed her body. No word yet on who received her cremains.

Meanwhile, Kansas City Council is scheduled to discuss a local hate crimes ordinance on January 11. Activists have encouraged the community to contact their member of council before that date.

Rest in power, Amber. Your walk through this world was brave and bold, paving the way for younger generations. You deserved so many more years to enjoy life and pursue your dreams in a world that celebrated you.

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This is our list

This is our list of transgender, non binary, and gender nonconforming neighbors who have been victims of the campaign of terror in 2023. Please do not copy, modify, or share this list without attribution.

1. Jasmine ‘Star’ Mack – District of Columbia, January 7, 2023. Age 36.
2. KC Johnson – Wilmington, North Carolina, January 13, 2023. Age 27.
3. Tortuguita – Weelaunee Forest, Georgia, January 18, 2023. Age 26.
4. Unique Banks – Chicago, Illinois, January 23, 2023. Age 21.
5. Zachee Imanitwitaho – Louisville, Kentucky, February 3, 2023. Age 26.
6. Maria Jose Rivera Rivera – Houston, Texas, January 21, 2023. Age 22.
7. Cashay Henderson – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 27, 2023. Age 31.
8. Tasiyah ‘Siyah’ Woodland – Mechanicsville, Maryland, March 24, 2023. Age 18.
9. Ashley Burton – Atlanta, Georgia, April 11, 2023. Age 37.
10. Rasheeda Williams – Atlanta, Georgia, April 18, 2023. Age 35.
11. Banko Brown – San Francisco, California, April 27, 2023. Age 24.
12. Ashia Davis – Detroit, Michigan, June 2, 2023. Age 34
13. Chanell Perez Ortiz – Carolina, Puerto Rico, June 25, 2023. Age 29.
14. Jacob Williamson – Pageland, South Carolina, July 4, 2023, Age 18.
15. Camdyn Rider – Winter Haven, Florida, July 21, 2023. Age 21.
16. Kylie Monali – Riverside, California, September 7, 2022, Reported September 2023.
17. DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson – Los Angeles, California, August 7, 2023. Age 27.
18. Thomas ‘Tom-Tom’ Robinson – Calumet, Indiana, August 17, 2023. Age 28.
19. Charm Wilson – Cleveland, Ohio, September 8, 2023. Age 32.
20. Bre’Asia Bankz – Arizona, September 5, 2023. Age 27.
21. Alexa Sokova – Palm Bay, Florida, September 5, 2023. Age 30.
22. YOKO – New Orleans Louisiana, September 19, 2023. Age 30.
23. Codii Lawrence – Weirton, West Virginia, September 5, 2023. Age 25.
24. Unidentified Person – Dallas, Texas,. July 2023. Age unknown
25. Dolli Goins – Eugene, Oregon, August 10, 2023. Age 27.
26. Luis Ángel Díaz Castro – San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 12, 2023. Age 22.
27. Thaddeus ‘Tad’ Keegan Bradley – Mendocino, California, Sept 21st, 2021. Reported April 27, 2023.
28. Sherlyn Marjorie – Albuquerque, Nex Mexico, September 17, 2023. Age 35.
29. Chyna Long – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 8, 2023. Age 20.
30. Skylar Harrison – Washington, DC, October 2, 2023. Age 30.
31. A’Nee Johnson – Washington, DC, October 14, 2023. Age 30.
32. Dominic Palace Dupree – Chicago, Illinois, October 13, 2023. Age 25.
33. Lisa Love -Chicago, Illinois, October19, 2023. Age 35.
34. Lovely Page – Chicago, Illinois, August 16, 2023. Age 54.
35. London Price – Miami, Florida, October 23, 2023. Age 26.
36. LaKendra Andrews – Dallas, Texas, April 29, 2023. Age 26.
37. Kejuan Richardson – Toledo, Ohio, November 14, 2023. Age 21.
38. Amiri Jean Richardson – Toledo, Ohio, November 14, 2023. Age 21.
39. Jean Thomas Butchart – Belleville, Michigan, August 4, 2023. Age 26.
40. Shandon Floyd – Columbia, South Carolina, November 8, 2023. Age 20.
41. Savannah Williams – St. Paul, Minnesota, November 29, 2023. Age 38.
42. Meghan Riley Lewis – Del Mar, Maryland, December 27, 2023. Age 53.
43. Lexus Walker– Hampton Roads, Virginia, December 30, 2023. Age 43.
44. Amber Minor – Raytown, Missouri, December 24, 2023. Age 40.