Diamond Stephens
Two more transgender women of color have been murdered, one last month in Mississippi and one last week in Florida.
Diamond Stephens, 39, a black transgender woman, was shot to death on June 18 in Meridian, Miss. Transgriot editor Monica Roberts reports Stephens is the 16th trans person murdered this year and the 10th who is African American.
According to her report, police were called to the scene of an accident when a van crashed into a home. Stephens, who was driving the van. The coroner said it looked like a single gunshot to the vak of the head and the Meridian police chief said it was not self-inflicted.
Police say may have been other individuals in the car but there are no suspects at this time.
Although the murder occurred last month, misgendering by police and media delayed the report of Stephens’ death as another transgender murder.
On July 19, Sasha Garden, 27, was found dead in Orlando with trauma to her body. Early local media reports said police were investigating but didn’t immediately call this a murder. Her body was found in an apartment complex and police are assuming she did not live there. They’ve since ruled this homicide.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Equality Florida is demanding Florida Gov. Rick Scott speak out on the killings of transgender women of color in the state. Garden is the fourth woman of color murdered in Florida this year.
“Regardless of whether these murders are connected, such a spike in anti-trans violence is a terrifying pattern that must be addressed,” the group said in a press release.
