We Should Talk About This

[Trigger warning for trans*/homophobic violence, applies to all links]

This Monday, a trans* woman of color was shot in Washington DC. The latest victim was at least the fifth trans* woman to be shot (or shot at) in DC over the past two months.

On Saturday, DC police found the body of a trans* woman of color.

In late August, drunk, off-duty police officer Kenneth Furr fired at a crowd group of women, at least two of whom were trans*. I haven't seen any reports on the victims' races, FWIW.

On the last day of July, a suspect shot at and missed a trans* woman of color in Northeastern DC.

A day before that incident, two men attacked five lesbian women of color at a D.C. metro station.

On July 20th, Lashai Mclean (also a trans* woman of color) was shot and killed in Northeastern DC.

Don't get me wrong-- a lot of the usual suspects have been covering this. Moreover, I'm not naïve enough to think that violence against queer women of color is going to garner much coverage in the mainstream media (although the DC media has grudgingly acknowledged the existence of said violence).

To point out what I think is obvious, the disinterest society shows towards these crimes is both a cause and symptom of the violence.

I'm honestly not sure if I can say that I'm surprised that this level of violence is being witnessed. I don't see very many of our cultural and civic leaders (including those at DC's Metropolitan Police Department) acting in ways consistent with acknowledging that queer women's lives matter. This needs to change.