This week we lost another two black trans sisters to transphobic violence, with next to no media attention or public outrage. At times like this we are reminded just how little care there is for black trans lives, let alone when we are murdered.
On Tuesday, the body of Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells was pulled from a river in Philadelphia. She had trauma to her face and head, her legs were severed mid thigh. Also on Tuesday, Riah Milton was shot multiple times, then robbed and her car stolen. She died at the scene.
All black lives cant matter, until black trans lives matter. The violence that we continue to face as a community needs to end. Both women are being misgendered in the small amount of media attention that these cases have attracted.
Whilst wealthy white cisgender women like JK Rowling and others who follow the abusive strand of “gender critical feminism”, tweet falsehoods and ignorance about our community, black transgender women are facing unimaginable violence, poverty and injustice. This violence is massively disproportionate when you take into consideration that trans people make up 0.6% of the American population, this is reduced even further with the intersection of blackness.
The conversation surrounding the trans community needs to change. Ignoring these deaths in favour of dehumanising debates over what bathroom we should use, or whether trans kids should have access to healthcare, needs to stop. It is upholding an environment of hostility and violence towards us and lives are being lost because of it.
Say her name #DominiqueFells
#blacktranslivesmatter #blacklivesmatter
