Jodi Hirsh: “I started this fundraiser as a response to the terrible actions of the federal government. And people stepped up in a massive way.”

On October 21, 2018, a friend of mine named Jodi Hirsh decided to use the Facebook birthday fundraiser tool to resist the announcement by the Federal Government that they plan to roll back acknowledgements of gender identity. She chose the Transgender Law Center as the recipient. She wrote “I wasn’t going to do one of […]

Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier is 22nd Transgender Homicide Victim in 2018

Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier was a 31 year-old Black trans woman living in Chicago. On Wednesday, October 3, she became the 22nd transgender person identified as a homicide victim in the US during 2018. According to local reports, Ciara was stabbed to death by an unknown man. A transgender woman who was found dead with […]

Nikki Janelle Enriquez is 21st Trans Person Murdered in 2018, Killed by US Customers Border Agent

Earlier this week, we learned that a US Customs and Border Protection agent had been arrested under suspicion of murdering at least four women and attempting to kidnap a fifth. One of his victims was a 28 year-old Latina trans woman, Nikki Janelle Enriquez. She was a native of Laredo, Texas. From Monica Roberts at Transgriot: […]

20 Year Old Londonn Moore is the 20th Reported Trans Person Murdered in the US in 2018

Londonn Moore

  She was 20 years old. Her name was Londonn Moore Kinnard and she was a Black trans woman living in North Port, Florida which is near Charlotte County. On Saturday September 8, her body was found face down shot to death at the intersection of Sawyer Circle and Red Oak Road at 7:30 AM in […]

Ray Zaborney is the Real Republican Threat to LGBTQ People in Pennsylvania

Ray Zaborney Caitlyn Jenner joke

From Billy Penn comes this (not) shocking transphobic move by Republicans On Thursday morning, Ray Zaborney, a well-known political consultant whose GOP-leaning firm was recently retained to handle Wagner’s media operations, texted a meme of television personality Caitlyn Jenner next to a statement that seemingly mocks the celebrity’s gender transition. Zaborney sent the meme to four people: Jason High, […]

Shantee Tucker 19th Trans Person Reported Murdered in the US This Year

Shantee Tucker Philadelphia

Shantee Tucker had just celebrated her 31st birthday earlier this week on September 2. Today, we mourn her untimely death shot in the back in Philadelphia, making her the 19th trans neighbor whose violent death we report on this year. From Philly.mag According to a police report, at 1:05 a.m. on Wednesday morning officers responded […]

Vontashia Bell, 18, is the 18th Trans Neighbor Reported Murdered in the US in 2018

Vontasia Bell

Of course it is just 24 hours after I wrote about the murder of De’Janay Stanton that I am back at the keyboard blogging about another murder of a Black trans woman, this time an 18-year-old Vontashia Bell in Shreveport, Louisiana.  And my heart is broken for a second time in two days. She was […]

Back to School Q&A with Trans Activist Daniel, 16, of Lakeview School District

We’ve blogged earlier in the year about the decision of Lakeview School District in Mercer County to expand their nondiscrimination policies to explicitly address needs of transgender students. This was a rule change to better comply with existing policy, not a new policy altogether. When the School Board met in May, one student – Daniel […]

Jay, 27, Discusses Challenges of Being a Straight Trans Man #AMPLIFY

Allegheny County LGBTQ

‘ Name:  Jay Age: 27 County of Residence:  Allegheny County Pronouns: He/Him How do you describe your identity? Straight Trans Man Please describe your coming out experience. Where did you find support? What challenges did you face? It was very challenging my family is not supportive but my friends have been overwhelmingly great. I still have legal challenges […]

Diamond Stephens, 39, is the 16th Trans Person Reported Murdered in 2018

Diamond Stephens Transgender

Diamond Stephens was 39 years old when she was shot in the back of the head while driving in Meridian, Mississippi. That was on June 18, 2018. Misgendering and deadnaming kept the community unaware of her death until friends and family set the record straight, a month later. Monica Roberts at TransGriot corrected the original […]