Taylor Casey, A Black Transgender Woman, Missing in Bahamas

A Black transgender woman has been missing in the Bahamas for almost a month. Taylor Casey, a 42-year-old Chicago native, was last seen on June 19 at the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island.

Bahamanian law enforcement recently found Casey’s phone, journal, and “other personal effects” in “nearby waters.” However, they were unable to access her phone or find her passport. Casey’s family and friends have expressed their concerns and have pleaded for greater public attention on Casey’s disappearance. 

Colette Seymore, Casey’s mother, expressed her concerns for her daughter’s safety. She comments, “I believe Taylor is in danger because she was eager to share her yoga retreat experience with others upon her return. Taylor would never disappear like this.”

It wasn’t until last week that Casey’s mother shared that her daughter was trans. As Seymore explained, she had withheld this information in fear that the focus would shift away from her child being missing and towards an emphasis on Casey’s identity. 

Seymore feels as though Casey’s case was purposefully not receiving its deserved concern and publicity. She states, “I just feel like they are hiding something, covering up something, and they separated, isolated my child.” She was additionally concerned by the fact Casey “was the only African American in the instructor’s class.”

Upon visiting the yoga retreat herself last week, she found it to be “deeply unsettling.” In addition, Casey’s family and friends claimed the police were uncooperative and “couldn’t keep details straight.” They refused to turn over Casey’s phone and inform them about the statements they had collected from people at the retreat. 

Thickening matters, Micheal Johnson, the chief superintendent of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, was just placed on “garden leave” last week. He will be investigated following “the recent circulation of voice notes,” which allegedly captured Johnson conversing with a prominent gang leader in the area.

Regarding Casey’s case, authorities claimed to have spoken to “a number of people” and deployed drones, divers, and canine units. However, Seymore says she had not even seen a missing-person poster.  

On July 11, Casey’s birthday, her family and friends held a press conference in front of the Chicago City Hall. Bubbles were blown in her honor, and pleas were made for state-level elected officials to urge Bahamian authorities to take Casey’s case seriously. “We went to the Bahamas to get answers, and we left with more questions. And we left early because we feared for our safety,” says Emily Williams, Casey’s friend.

Violence against transgender people continues to spike globally. Transgender people of color are especially vulnerable, and as the number of transgender homicides continues to climb, it is imperative to share Casey’s case now more than ever. 

Photo courtesy of social media