As previously reported by OUT FRONT, 2020 has been the deadliest year on record for transgender and nonbinary Americans. Last Friday, November 20, marked Transgender Day of Remembrance, when, as a community, we celebrate the lives of those lost in the previous year.
A new report from the Human Rights Campaign is shedding light on the ongoing epidemic of anti-trans violence. The report, titled Fatal Violence Against Transgender Americans, is a 68-page document that examines the prevalence of hate-motivated violence against trans and gender-nonconforming people in the U.S.
“In 2020, at least 37 transgender and gender-nonconforming people were victims of fatal violence—more than the HRC has recorded in any other year. This grim milestone proves what we have known all along: that this violence is an epidemic,” says HRC Foundation President, Alphonso David.
Although each case unique, we know this is an issue that disproportionately affects BIPOC trans women, who comprise 66 percent of all victims of anti-trans violence. The current life expectancy for trans women of color is 35 years old, reports the HRC, and most of the victims of fatal violence are under the age of 40. Of the lives lost in 2020, 24 of them were 35 years and under, one of whom was only 17.
Since 2013, the HRC has tracked 202 cases of fatal violence against trans and gender-nonconforming people across 30 states and 113 cities. The report sites several causes for anti-trans violence including dehumanization via media and politicians, denial of opportunity which results in homelessness and vulnerability, and increased risk factors such as involvement in sex work. All of these causes, the HRC reports, are both intertwined and exacerbated by racism and sexism.
Ending this epidemic requires addressing and eliminating anti-transgender stigma and discrimination across all facets of society and embracing people of all genders for who they are. Read the full report to learn how you can take action to help end the violence.
