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2016 is the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans

2016 is the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans
Photo: Shutterstock

The murder earlier this month of Noonie Norwood of Virginia, a transgender woman who’d just turned 30, is the latest in a sad string of tragic crimes perpetuated against trans Americans in 2016. Hers was the 24th homicide to hit the trans community, in a month bookended by both this celebratory week of Trans Awareness and the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20.

In all of 2015, 22 trans people were killed, most of them trans women of color.

Learn more and see photos of the 24 trans people murdered in 2016 by clicking here.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Norwood was found by police suffering from gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a local hospital and lingered for nine hours until her death on Sunday, Nov. 6.

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SPLC

A longtime friend of Norwood’s spoke glowingly of her to the newspaper. “She was very fun-loving, a lot of energy, and loved to dance,” Zakia McKensie said, “She loved family, to eat and cook and she very much loved being in the community with people.”

However, that local LGBTQ community were up in arms when Richmond police misgendered Norwood, describing her as a “man dressed in women’s clothing.”

In a statement on Nov. 8, Richmond Police Chief Alfred Durham explained that was because Norwood’s mother told detectives to identify her son as a male. The family further misgendered Norwood in referring to her with male pronouns in her obituary.

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McKensie told the paper she knew Norwood for more than a decade and that Norwood used female pronouns, and that her transgender identity was not a secret among family and friends.

Police have made no arrests in the case and have no suspects.

Below, a list of the 24 transgender men and women killed in 2016.

 

  • Monica Loera of Austin, Texas murdered January 22. She was 43 years old.
  • Jasmine Sierra of Bakersfield, California murdered January 22. She was 52 years old.
  • Kayden Clarke of Mesa, Arizona killed by police on February 4. He was 24 years old.
  • Veronica Banks Cano of San Antonio, Texas found dead on February 19. She was in her mid-30s.
  • Maya Young of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania murdered on February 21. She was 25 years old.
  • Demarkis Stansberry of Baton Rouge, Louisiana murdered on February 27. He was 30 years old.
  • Kedarie/Kandicee Johnson of Burlington, Iowa murdered on March 2. They were 16 years old.
  • Quartney Davia Dawsonn-Yochum of Los Angeles, California murdered on March 23. She was 32 years old.
  • Shante Isaac of Houston, Texas murdered on April 10. She was 34 years old.
  • Keyonna Blakeney of Rockville, Maryland murdered on April 16. She was 22 years old.
  • Tyreece Walker of Wichita, Kansas murdered on May 1. She was 32 years old.
  • Mercedes Successful of Haines City, Florida murdered on May 15. She was 32 years old.
  • Amos Beede of Burlington, Vermont murdered on May 25. He was 38 years old.
  • Goddess Diamond of New Orleans, Louisiana murdered on June 5. She was 20 years old.
  • Deeniquia Dodds of Washington D.C. murdered on July 13. She was 22 years old.
  • Dee Whigam of Shubuta, Mississippi murdered on July 23. She was 25 years old.
  • Skye Mockabee of Cleveland, Ohio murdered on July 30. She was 26 years old.
  • Erykah Tijerina of El Paso, Texas murdered on August 8. She was 36 years old.
  • Rae’Lynn Thomas of Columbus, Ohio murdered on August 10. She was 28 years old.
  • T.T. Safore of Chicago, Illinois killed on September 11. She was thought to be in her mid-twenties
  • Crystal Edmonds of Baltimore, Maryland killed on September 16. She was 32 years old.
  • Jazz Alford of North Carolina killed on September 23. She was 30 years old.
  • Brandi Bledsoe of Cleveland, Ohio killed on October 12. She was 32 years old.
  • Noony Norwood of Richmond, Virginia killed on November 5. She was 30 years old.
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