26 | QSALTLAKE MAGAZINE | TRANSGENDER AWARENESS
Qsaltlake.com |
ISSUE 353 |
November, 2023
Say Their Names
Transgender Day of Remembrance
We list
here 65 transgender victims of violence documented in the United States in the past 12 months. It is very likely that many more have happened that are not reported to organizations to become part of a list such as this. Many news stories of anti-transgender violence use “dead names” — the names given at birth no longer used by the victims — making it difficult to glean whether an act of violence was transgender-related. Worldwide, local transgender researcher Dallas Rivas, who provided this list, has documented over 325 reports of anti-transgender murders between October 2022 and October 1 of this year. In past years, Brazil has been the leading nation in transgender violence. This year, however, no data is being released from the country. While the details of these cases differ, it is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color — particularly Black transgender women — and that the intersections of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and unchecked access to guns conspire to deprive them of employment, housing, healthcare, and more. TIFFANY BANKS, 25, Miami Fla. Tiffany was shot and killed on Saturday, October 1. Four days later, a man was arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder. Tiffany loved to sing and dance. Her family described her a “the light that would brighten up anyone’s darkest day.” MYLES FITZPATRICK, 17, Manville N.J. Myles died by suicide after enduring bullying and harassment at school. After his death, his (supportive) family
filed a lawsuit against his school, alleging that they had failed to prevent or act on the treatment he had received from other students. Myles had been transitioning since December 2020. ADALYN ANDERSON, 24, Oklahoma City, Okla. Adalyn died by suicide. Her family said she was a private, witty, and loving daughter and sister who survived numerous trials in her life until she reached a moment when she felt she could no longer go on. In the past two years, she became confident in who she was and was not afraid to show it. The family asked for donations to the Trevor Project in her obituary.
KELLY LOVING, 40, Colorado Springs, Colo. Kelly was one of five people shot and killed in the Club Q shooting. Friends described Loving as a person who wanted her friends to shine and helped them shine. Loving’s sister said she used her body as a shield to help save a young man’s life during the shooting.
DANIEL DAVIS ASTON, 28, Colorado Springs, Colo. Daniel was one of five people shot and killed in the Club Q shooting. He moved to Colorado Springs two years before his murder and worked as a bartender and entertainer at Club Q. His parents would join in the cheer at his shows. His mother said his shows were great. “Everybody needs to go see him. He lit up a room, always smiling, always happy and silly,” she said. DIAMOND JACKSON MCDONALD, 27, Philadelphia, Penn. Diamond was found shot to death inside her mother’s apartment. Investigators said the door to the apartment was open, and there were no obvious signs of forced entry. Media sources say
she may have known her killer. “I just want the world to know that Diamond was my rock, my shoulder, my child whom I love with every inch of me of what I have left to give,” her mother, said DAY RODUS, 27, Malibu, Calif. A passer-by found Rodus unresponsive on a roadside in the Santa Monica area. Preliminary information indicated that Rodas had overdosed, and her body was brought to the location. The incident is being investigated as a homicide, but the exact cause of death has not been determined. Rodus worked for the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s community health program. MORGAN DEE, 32, Fort Wayne, Ind. Dee died by suicide. She was reportedly anxious about how trans people were treated by society. DESTINY HOWARD, 23, Macon, Ga. Destiny’s body was found in a parking lot. Jaleel Parker, who was said to be in a relationship with Howard, was arrested two days later. “Her greatest passion was fashion,”
