A Sad Month

It has been a sad and dangerous month for us; the number of trans people killed for just being themselves has increased dramatically.

2 Texas transgender women dead within a week of each other
ABC News
By Abigail Shalawylo and  Alyssa Pone
May 17, 2018

Two Texas transgender women died less than a week apart though there seems to be no connection between the deaths, according to Dallas Police who are investigating both cases.

Jimmy Eugene Johnson III was arrested in connection with the death of a 26-year-old Latina transgender woman, police announced Thursday.

Carla Patricia Flores-Pavon was found by police unconscious in her Dallas apartment on May 9, and she was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after.
[…]
Just a few days after Flores-Pavon was killed, an unidentified black trans woman was found floating in the water at White Rock Creek in Dallas. Her body was discovered on May 12, in a severe stage of decomposition, police said.

Then over in Atlanta…

Transgender man shot, killed in northwest Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Raisa Habersham
May 17, 2018

A 36-year-old transgender man was shot and killed during an argument in northwest Atlanta, police said.

Police are still searching for suspects in the fatal Sunday morning shooting.

About 3 a.m., officers found Nino Fortson, who identifies as a man, with multiple gunshot wounds in the 700 block of Woods Drive, Atlanta police said. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died.
[…]
Fortson is the 10th transgender person to die in the United States this year and the first known homicide of a transgender man, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

One time when I was first coming out a group of us decided to go to a drag show at a bar in Hartford and when I was leaving I was a little worried. I was a newly out trans woman in a strange area and I had to walk to my car a half a block from the bar.

Another time I was at the closing night gala for the LGBT film festival, it was a warm summer night and to walk back to my car I had to pass by a sports bar that had a lot of drunken guys sitting in the patio area next to the sidewalk. I stood at the door where the gala was being held looking at the bar when four or five lesbians came out of the event and one saw where I was looking and asked if I wanted to walk them back to our cars. She slipped her arm around mine and we all walked to our cars together.

Be safe. Know your surroundings.

eHarmany suggests…

First, meet in a public place. There is safety in numbers and meeting for the first time in a restaurant or coffee shop would provide enough witnesses should the date turn sour. Never – and I mean never – meet a man at his home or even think of inviting him to your home until you really get to know him.

Second, tell a friend about your date. Yes, tell a friend or family member the details about where you are meeting, give them his contact details like name and phone number and any other additional information you have about him. Check in with your friend during the date or ask your friend to call you during the date to let them know how you are doing. Besides, this can be used as an escape clause if you feel like the date isn’t going well: “Hey Jim, my friend needs me because of an emergency and we have to end the date.”

Third, drive yourself to the date and drive home by yourself. Having your own wheels gives you control should the date go bad. The worst thing is to be reliant on somebody else for transportation as it gives them the control on how long you spend together and let’s face it, it’s safer to have your own car just in case.

Fourth, stay sober. This may be obvious, but alcohol creates bad judgement and I have known too many women who have said yes to coming to my home after a few drinks. Now remember, I’m a safe guy and so are most; however, alcohol impairs our senses and the last thing you want to say in the morning is, “Why did I do that?”

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While we are on the subject…

IDAHOBIT 2018: Transgender women are still being killed at an alarming rate
Pink News
By Jess Glass
17th May 2018

This International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), it’s important to highlight one of the most maligned and discriminated against groups in the acronym – transgender women.

IDAHOBIT is marked every year on May 17, with the date chosen to mark the anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s decision to remove homosexuality from their classification of diseases in 1990.

When thinking about the difficulties and discrimination that is still faced by the LGBT community in many ways, it’s important to look at the setbacks and tragedies that have lined the way and see how much progress still needs to be made.

2017 was the deadliest year for transgender people in the US on record, but 2018 is shaping up to be almost as violent once again, particularly against trans women of colour.

Be safe! Be aware of your surroundings.