If You’re Trans,

If you are black and live in New Orleans be careful.

Murders of 3 transgender women highlight alarming trend
CBS NEWS
By Don Champion
March 12, 2017

NEW ORLEANS -- The recent murders of three transgender women in Louisiana are not linked, but their deaths are part of a disturbing trend.

The fear is real in New Orleans for trans women like Imani Dupree.

“I’ve been frightened, but not like this before,” Dupree said.

Last month, Dupree’s close friends Chyna Gibson and Ciara McElveen were murdered within days of each other. A week earlier, Jaquarrius Holland was killed in another Louisiana town.

All of the victims were trans women of color.

“What scares me the most is that people will feel like they can get away with these things and nothing will be done about it,” Dupree said.

What do some experts blame for the sudden rise in murders of black trans people?

Beverly Tillery, executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, tracks these cases and feels the political climate including bathroom bills are making the trans community less safe.

“When you can’t be valued for simply who you are then that sets up a situation where people think they can do anything to you,” Tillery said.

Sadly I believe that is true, people see us as less than human.

And it is just not us but also anyone who associates with us.

Brick thrown through window of New Orleans church days after it held transgender town hall, minister says
The New Orleans Advocate
By Della Hasselle
March 12, 2017

A brick was thrown through the window of First Unitarian Universalist Church during services held Sunday morning, according to Rev. Paul Beedle, the minister of the church.

Beedle said the window hit had been a gift given to the church after Hurricane Katrina. The damage occurred in a side hall of the church, away from sanctuary windows. No one was injured, the minister said.

He added that a member of the church had found the brick after he had taken a child on a walk, while services were still taking place.

The New Orleans Police Department was called following the incident, Beedle said, and a report was taken.

The brick-throwing occurred two days after the church had opened its doors for a well-attended town hall meeting held in support of New Orleans' transgender community.

So what is stirring up this violence against us?

I think two factors are at play, the first is the political climate that is fostering the hate and they feel that they have the green light to spread their hate and second it is harder now to find employment and it is forcing many black trans people to make their living off of alternative means