Black Trans Teen Tasiyah ‘Siyah’ Woodland, 18, Dies from Gun Violence in Maryland

Tasiyah Woodland

She was 18 years old, a young Black trans woman. Her name was Tasiyah ‘Siyah’ Woodland and she lived in Lexington Park, Maryland. On Friday, March 24, 2023, she became the most recent reported victim of the campaign of terror targeting the transgender community when St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded a 911 call […]

20-Year-Old Black Trans Woman Taya Ashton Shot Dead in Maryland

A 20-year-old Black transgender woman, Taya Ashton, has become the latest victim in the violent epidemic of murder targeting the transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming community. Tavahn Ashton of Suitland in Prince George’s County, Maryland was pronounced dead on Saturday, July 17, 2021. On July 17, 2021, at approximately 9:55 pm, officers responded to an […]

Indigenous Non-Binary Person Whispering Wind Bear Spirit Killed in York, PA

Whispering Wind Bear Spirit

Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, a 41-year-old Indigenous Non-Binary person is the most recent transgender or gender non-conforming person victim of fatal violence. Whispering Wind was shot to death by a 19-year-old man during a botched robbery attempt of their home. Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, 41, died of a single gunshot wound sustained during an attempted […]

Black Trans Woman Danny Henson, 31, Murdered in Baltimore

  Reporting on another homicide involving a Black trans woman, the second report today.  Her name was Danny Henson and she also went by Pryynce Daniel. She was killed Tuesday, May 4, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland. Around 2:30 a.m., Baltimore Police responded to a home in the 3100 block of Williston Street for an unresponsive […]

Zoe Spears, 23, is the 10th Black Trans Woman Murdered in the US in 2019

Zoe Spears Transgender

The heartache of her friends and loved ones was raging throughout Facebook today. The news that 23-year-old Zoe Spears had been found by police responding to a welfare check just before midnight on Thursday, June 13 in the Fairmount Heights section of Prince George’s County, Maryland, close to the D.C. line. Zoe had sustained multiple […]

UPDATED Ashanti Carmon is 2nd Black Trans Woman Murdered in 2019

Ashanti Carmon was 27 years old when she was shot to death Saturday, March 30 in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Details are unconfirmed. I’ve updated her age and details of relationship status based on reporting from The Washington Blade. There are no updates from the investigation. Check out @TransEquality’s Tweet: https://twitter.com/TransEquality/status/1112357749604651008?s=09 Fairmount Heights police said they […]

Maya, 20, Identifies as a Black Queer Fat Femme Woman #AMPLIFY

My queerness was never the only thing I had to deal with, and trying to understand who I was in the midst of the rest of my life was so daunting. Name: Maya Age: 20 County of Residence: Allegheny, previously Columbia, MD Pronouns: She/Her/Hers How do you describe your identity? I am a Black, Fat, Femme, cis woman, Jewish, advocate and […]

Jamie, 52, Celebrates the Queer Tribe Rising #AMPLIFY

Jamie Shupe Pittsburgh

Editor’s Note: Jamie is a friend and a former contributor to this blog. I am so honored to have their contribution as the 150th post in the #AMPLIFY project. That’s a big milestone. Jamie’s milestone as the first legally recognized non-binary resident of the United States is pretty damn big, too. Read on … Name: Jamie […]

#AMPLIFY Trans Voices on the Trans Day of Remembrance and Resilience

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2015

Today is the International Trans Day of Remembrance as well as a day to honor trans resilience. In lieu of our usual Friday #AMPLIFY profile, we are sharing these previously published Q&A posts with transgender neighbors living in Western Pennsylvania. Visibility is an important component of resiliency and a luxury many of us may not […]

Zella Ziona, 21 of Maryland, Most Recent Trans Woman of Color Murdered

Zella Ziona Transgender

More heartbreaking news, this time from Gaithersburg, Maryland where 21-year-old Zella Ziona became the 22nd transgender woman to be murdered in the US during 2015. A witness told ABC7 he saw the victim, identified as Zella Ziona of Montgomery Village, surrounded by four or five teenagers. There was an argument, then he says one of […]