Remembering Tiffany Banks: Black, Trans Woman Killed in Miami

Our trans family lost another member this month. Tiffany Banks, a 25-year-old Black trans woman, was killed in Miami, Florida on October 1. Details about her death have been slow to come out, partially because of local media reports deadnaming Banks, along with the fact that little information has been released as a whole.

On October 5, Miami-Dade Police arrested and charge a man with second degree murder with a weapon in connection to the crime, according to Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents. The blog, which has regularly documented anti-trans murders over the years and is frequently cited by Human Rights Campaign (HRC), notes that Banks is the fourth Black trans person and the third Black trans woman to be murdered in Florida this year.

Banks is also at least the 33rd trans person reported as a victim of fatal violence in 2022. The majority of victims have been Black women.

In Banks’ obituary, her family says she was known for being a “very sociable and beautiful butterfly.” Banks loved to sing, dance, and was described as a “light that would brighten up anyone’s darkest day.”

On October 12, loved ones held a vigil for Banks, followed by a celebration of life on October 15.

Tori Cooper, HRC director of community engagement for its Transgender Justice Initiative, called Banks’ death an “incredible loss,” adding that she had much more to give to the world.

“It is clear how deeply she was loved by her community and we will continue to grieve alongside them,” Cooper says in a press release. “Transgender people deserve to live our lives without fear of violence. The lack of available details and underreporting of Tiffany’s death is troubling, and we will continue to fight for justice for Tiffany.”

Local advocates are also mourning the devastating loss. Jasmine McKenzie, the executive director of trans-led organization the McKenzie Project, calls Banks’ absence “like the sky, it will spread all over all day and night.”

In a statement shared by Equality Florida, McKenzie says, “Every time I doubted myself and wanted to give up on community, you were always the person who showed me the reason why I do what I do for community.”

Photo courtesy of HRC and Tiffany Banks via Facebook