Sophie Vasquez, 36, and Danny Henson, 31, are the latest trans victims of violence in the US after both were killed on May 4. According to Planet Transgender, Vasquez, a latinx trans woman, was shot in her home in Brookhaven, Georgia, with her murder remaining unreported by local news outlets. No further details of her death have been released yet, and she was reportedly deadnamed and misgendered in initial police reports.
Meanwhile, Henson, a black trans woman, was shot in Baltimore, Maryland, and found dead in her home in the early hours of the morning. Police believe she may have been shot during an altercation with someone she knew, but no further details have been provided. Vasquez and Henson were killed only 3 days after Keri Washington, another black trans woman, was murdered in Florida, making her the 20th known trans person to have been killed in the US this year.
2020 was the deadliest year on record for trans Americans, with 44 recorded murders. Meanwhile, over 350 deaths were recorded worldwide, with the majority taking place in either Brazil, Mexico or the US. Many LGBTQ+ activists are fearful the death toll in 2021 will exceed that of last year due to the high rates of anti-trans violence.
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