Destiny Howard, a Trans Woman, Killed in Georgia

Though Howard’s murder took place in December, she was only recently added to the 2022 total of trans homicide victims. The 23-year-old woman was found dead in a parking lot in Macon, Georgia on the morning of December 9. She had been fatally shot and pronounced dead at the scene.

Initial reports of her death were not immediately recognized as yet another trans homicide, as local reporters misgendered Howard and referred to her as her deadname, thus highlighting the issue with the current understanding of trans deaths due to hate crimes, the numbers of which are often skewed because of inaccurate reporting.

According to Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, Howard was born in Macon in 1999 into a family with five brothers and five sisters. She graduated from Westside High School in 2019 and loved fashion.

Tori Cooper, the Human Rights Campaign Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative, said that it was “heartbreaking to learn of yet another young, Black trans woman lost to whose life was taken by gun violence.”

“Destiny’s life mattered, and it was taken far too soon,” Cooper said in a statement. “Initial reports of Destiny’s death misgendered her, denying her the dignity to be seen as she truly was. Our society must recognize that trans women are women and that their lives have worth, and work to end the violence that takes far too many of our lives.”

Last year proved to be a particularly deadly year for transgender Americans, with Howard’s death adding another to the count. Forty-one trans people were killed in violent attacks, 21 of which were women of color, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Less than a month into 2023, three transgender people have been murdered, including Jasmine “Star” Mack, KC Johnson, and criminal justice activist Tortuguita.

It is not surprising that this violence against trans people comes at a time of record numbers of anti-trans legislation from conservative lawmakers. The discriminatory and transphobic rhetoric used in these bills, whether passed or not, embolden those who would commit violence against trans and gender-nonconforming people.

Photo courtesy of social media.