The Real Legacy of the Immaculate Reception and Franco Harris for this Pittsburgh Kid – Originally Posted in 2019

Franco Harris Pittsburgh

I first wrote this post in November 2019. I am reposting this morning in honor of Franco Harris and his family, Dana and Dok. Franco’s death ((March 7, 1950 – December 20, 2022) has layers of impact for all of us, in that very unique Pittsburgh way where this great man was far more than […]

Latina Trans Woman Caelee Love-Light Killed in Phoenix

Caelee Love-Light

Last week, 27-year-old Caelee Love-Light was found dead at the scene of a car incident in Phoenix, Arizona. The Latina transwoman succumbed to gunshot injuries she sustained while involved in some sort of altercation with the male occupant of the car. He was stabbed several times and later died of his injuries at a nearby […]

Black Trans Man Mar’Quis ‘MJ’ Jackson, 33, Killed in Philadelphia

Mar’Quis Jackson, known as MJ, turned 33 years old on December 12, 2022. He didn’t come home that night. Two days later, the Black trans man was found dead in the backyard of a residence in Nicetown, a Philadelphia neighborhood. The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating the death of a man found with trauma to […]

Trans Woman Day Rodas, 27, Found Dead in Malibu

Day Rodas

Day Rodas was 27-years-old when she began to live fulltime as her authentic female self. She was also 27 when her body was discovered at the side of the road in Malibu, California. A body was found Thursday morning on a roadside in the Santa Monica Mountains north of Malibu, prompting the closure of a […]

Kelly Loving, 40, and Daniel Aston, 28, Among Victims at Club Q

I took my time writing this particular post about the two transgender neighbors killed in the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs. There’s as of yet no evidence suggesting the murderer was particularly motivated by gender identity, but this incident does irrevocably fuse our experiences of oppression, violence, and hate. We must understand that […]

Black Trans Woman Diamond Jackson-McDonald, 27, Murdered in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving

Diamond Jackson-McDonald

Pennsylvania was home to the most recent victim of anti-transgender violence terrorizing our nation. Her name was Diamond Jackson-McDonald. She was 27-years-old when she was murdered on Thanksgiving. Diamond was a Black trans woman. Shahere “Diamond” Jackson-McDonald was found shot to death inside her mother’s apartment on the 400 block of Manheim Street in the […]

Trans Day of Remembrance 2022

In this year of 2022, I have documented the lives and deaths of 34 transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming neighbors so far. This list is not exhaustive and is not lined up directly with the official TDOR tracked information. But it matters that we all try, try to lift up the lives of these neighbors […]

Black Trans Masc Teen, 15, Found Dead in Kansas

Ace Scott Transgender Kansas

His name was Ace Scott. In April, his body was discovered in an abandoned lot near residences north of W. 9th Street and Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. That was April 15 and I am just learning about Ace Scott today, thanks in part to the diligent documentation of the Trans Day of Remembrance […]

Black Trans Woman Tiffany Banks, 25, Killed in Miami

Tiffany Banks

In early September, Tiffany Banks celebrated her 25th birthday. A resident of Miami-Dade, the Black trans woman was a graduate of Lowndes High School, had worked at Dairy Queen, and identified her transition as her priority. Since 2019, she worked at L A Beauty & Aesthetics at Banks Beauty Bar. According to her family, she […]

Black Trans Man Semaj Billingslea, 33, Shot to Death in Jacksonville

Described by many as ‘larger than life,’ Semaj Billingslea (also styled as Semaj Bill) is the most recent victim of anti-trans violence. Semaj was a 33-year-old Black trans man. He was shot to death in Jacksonville on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, the last full day of summer. Jacksonville, Florida police responded to reports of a […]