Say Her Name: 17-Year-Old Trans Girl Tayy Dior Killed in Alabama

Tayy Dior Thomas, a bright and adored 17-year-old Black transgender girl, lost her life on May 7. Her boyfriend allegedly murdered her, and he is currently serving time for his heinous crimes.

Police officers received a phone call that led them to find Tayy’s body in Darwood Drive, Mobile, Alabama, around 3:30 a.m. Reports of the crime scene indicated that her body was found near her vehicle, which had crashed into a building. As a result, Mobile Metro Jail is currently holding Carl Mitchell Washington Jr. without bond on charges related to Tayy Dior’s murder. That same day, authorities arrested Washington on additional charges of discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle (allegedly firing 18 shots into Thomas’ vehicle) and attempting to evade arrest.

The state of Alabama charges murder as an A-listed crime for at least a minimum of 10 years, and if the murder was due to a hate crime, the sentence would be charged with an additional 15 more years in jail. But according to the NAAPC, Alabama’s hate crime law does not provide increased penalties for crimes motivated by sexual orientation or sexual identity. Therefore, this hate crime law contravenes all possible forms of discrimination.

Washington entered a not-guilty plea to the charges against him in court.

According to Thomas’ family, the two kept the relationship a secret while they dated for a year. Thomas’ family is confident that Washington’s decision to commit his crimes stemmed from his concern about his relationship with Thomas becoming public.

Thomas’ grandmother, Rhonda Carl, has spoken about Thomas in a very loving and memorable way, and she will forever remember Thomas as a very loving and giving person. She went on to say, “That trusting and loving nature got her killed.” Family members of Thomas say that they hope the lost life of Thomas and the many people who loved her who are now mourning the loss intend to foster a change in Alabama’s hate crimes law to serve her justice. The family will continue raising money to cover funeral expenses. 

A study from New Everytown Data, revealed that 50% of gun violence is targeted towards Black trans women, 44% of them also being from the south, and at least 19% of these deaths occurred at the hands of the victim’s partners.

Tori Cooper, director of the Transgender Justice Initiative, says during a press release regarding Thomas’ murder: “She had so much life ahead of her, and it is heartbreaking that that potential was ripped away so violently by someone she was supposed to be able to trust. In 2015, we found that over half of all transgender and nonbinary adults were victims of intimate partner violence. So far, in 2024, nearly half of all victims of fatal violence with a known killer were killed by a romantic or sexual partner, friend, or family member. Trans people should be able to trust that the people in their lives will help protect them from this violence, not cause it.”

As a matter of fact, Thomas’ murder should bring nationwide awareness to advances in legislative laws, safety for trans youth, or, at the very least, remembering the lost lives of transgender people by their chosen name. Thomas’ family had to confirm to the public that her preferred name was Tayy Dior, as media reports from WALA misgendered her and referred to her by her deadname.

Her grandmother says to HRC, “Tayy always had a huge smile on her face showing her dimples.”