A recent analysis by Media Matters for America found two thirds of transgender and gender diverse murder victims were misgendered or deadnamed by the police and/or US media outlets in 2020. At least 139 reports have misgendered or deadnamed 23 of the 37 reported victims in the US, with only 18 amending the pieces for accuracy. Misinformation was found in news outlets across 18 states and Puerto Rico, and in notable news outlets such as CNN and Associated Press.
2020 has been a record year for anti-trans violence in the US, and disproportionately affects black trans women. Tori Cooper, the Human Rights Campaign’s director of community engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, said: “Since HRC began tracking this violence in 2013, two-thirds of victims have been Black trans women and more than 60% of incidents have involved gun violence…the numbers continue to climb, even during a pandemic. We must all ask ourselves what each of us is doing to work to bring this violence to an end.”
November 20 was the annual Trans Day of Remembrance, which commemorated the victims of anti-trans violence. New US president, Joe Biden, tweeted: “At least 37 transgender and gender-nonconforming people have been killed this year, most of them Black and Brown transgender women. It’s intolerable. This Transgender Day of Remembrance, we honor their lives—and recommit to the work that remains to end this epidemic of violence.” He also vowed to fight for the ‘safety, justice and dignity’ of the US trans community from ‘the moment’ he is officially sworn in as president.
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