Trans Rights Are Women’s Rights

The following content contains references to transgender violence

This goes out to Dominique and all the angels we lost. 

She was only 27 when she was brutally murdered for being a black trans woman in June 2020, almost four years after the mass murder at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida that claimed 49 lives. I had the true honor of speaking with her mother. She spoke of how Dominique gave even when she didn't have. When someone was in need, Dominique would give all she had. She was described as being full of color. Dominique loved fashion. She had so much creativity in her and graduated from Cheyney University with a degree in Fashion design. She was an independent fashion designer and even helped with the fashion show in 2019 “Rock the Runway -- A Trans Empowerment Fashion Show,” in memory of her Jefferson University is establishing the first scholarship for transgender/gender-nonconforming BIPOC.

Furthermore, she came from a big family who accepted and loved her, something not all trans have. Dominique loved Christmas and being able to get together with her family. She livened up every room she stepped in.

It’s important to recognize that deaths such as hers are happening too frequently. At the time of her passing, she was the 13th trans person to be killed in 2020. By the end of 2020 there were 46 documented cases of trans women being killed in Pennsylvania. Most were Black and Latinx transgender women. Their stories were silenced from the world. 2021 saw at least 57 trans deaths. The global number being at least 357. That is almost one death each day. We are only 3 months into 2022 and six people have already lost their lives. Pennsylvania is one of 13 states that exclude transphobic speech and actions from hate crime laws: Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Alaska. To live in a state and even a world where people aren't accepted isn't okay to me.

As someone who has a few trans friends, I want to be able to go out and not worry about them being targeted for who they are. I want to say goodnight and know they will be okay. I was so excited when my one friend came out to me and told me they were transitioning to a woman. I immediately started calling her by her new name. She didn’t need judgment or criticism during a new stage in her life. She needed love and support. It’s heartbreaking to know she didn't receive that from everyone. Transitioning doesn't mean you wake up one day and decide you're just going to go by the opposite gender. A lot goes into it. There's endless pills, shots, surgeries. It is a painful process. People seem to forget that someone being trans has nothing to do with us. We’re so worried about what other people are doing that we forget about our own lives.  

Dominique’s mother’s advice to everyone out there is to check in on your family and friends. Reach out to your community and know you are never alone. Being an ally can make the biggest difference in someone's life. We are all searching for acceptance. Whether it's from a family member or a friend. To accept others is to accept yourself.

Her mother continues to advocate for trans rights to this day. Unwilling to let her daughter's death go unheard. While she couldn’t speak of what is in the works, it is going to bring a change to this cruel world. 

While speaking with her mother, I heard the pride in her voice and the warmth of her unconditional love for her daughter was evident. We should all live our lives like Dominique and her family. Loving everyone regardless of who they are. She would have been 30 years old this summer. While her life on earth was cut short, her legacy and her impact on this world will never be forgotten. While we can't bring back all the lives lost to violence, we can incite a change that will prevent our friends, family, neighbors from losing their lives.

If you are looking for resources, the YCP counseling services can be found through https://www.ycp.edu/about-us/offices-and-departments/student-development-and-campus-life/counseling-services/ and the Trevor Project can be found through https://www.thetrevorproject.org