Gizzy Fowler, a trans woman of colour who was 24 years old, was found dead in a Nashville suburb earlier this week. This is the 10th known murder of a trans woman of colour in the United States in 2014.
Local news reports say that Fowler’s body was found in the driveway of a home that was empty in Bordeaux, Tennessee. The police were told by neighbours that they had heard gunshots. Several news outlets got Fowler’s name, criminal history, and old photos wrong, giving her the wrong gender.
“There is an epidemic of fatal violence against transgender and gender non-confirming women, especially transgender women of colour in the United States. These ten lives that were cut short cannot be ignored,” said Osman Ahmed, the Research and Education Coordinator at the New York City Anti-Violence Project for the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). “We need national action right away to stop the shocking violence against transgender women in the U.S.”
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is on November 20. It is a day to remember those who died because of hatred or prejudice against transgender people. Before Fowler’s death, there were more than 70 names from all over the world on the list for 2014.
TDOR organisers in Nashville plan to honour Fowler at their event at the Scarritt-Bennett Center. Fowler’s family says they will be there.
Advocates are worried that minimising the real identities of the victims of these crimes will make it harder to see how bad what NCAVP calls a “epidemic” of violence really is.
Anyone with information that could help the investigation is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME, send an electronic tip by texting the word “CASH” along with the message to 274637 (CRIMES), or go online to www.nashvillecrimestoppers.com. If you call Crime Stoppers, you can stay anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward.