Why I #SayHerName

Why I #SayHerName

Just about every week, I have stood during kaddish to say her name. 

She is a Trans women of color and she has been murdered.

Our tradition of mourning provides space and time to remember and reflect on the entire world that a person we have lost represents. 

We stop.

We take notice.

We sit low to the ground or on the floor.

We tear our clothes. 

We mourn.

We come to shul to say their names and remember them for an entire year.

We tell their stories and share our favorite memories.

We mourn.

But who will mourn for our dear sisters?  How will we even know they died? For many, their deaths go unreported.  When there are news reports, they are often misgendered and their birth names are used.

I say her name because I am a Jew.

As of August 23, 2015, there have been over 20 Trans women murdered in the US, the majority of whom were trans women of color.  We are in a state of emergency.

We are losing our beautiful sisters to senseless violence.  They have been murdered by lovers, family members, strangers and even the police.  And what we know from the Matthew Shepard case, is that the Gay and Trans* panic defense allows  a perpetrator to claim that someone’s sexual or gender identity is to blame for their violent behavior. This actually stands up in court. We are in a state of emergency.

The average life expectancy of a Trans woman of color is 35. We are in a state of emergency.

A good majority of individuals who are Trans* or gender non conforming do not conform to the western and largely racist standards of beauty.  They also do not come from wealthy families, have reality TV shows or participate in medical transition. Many either do not want to have surgeries or use hormones or cannot afford to do so. There are many Trans* and gendering non conforming people who are unable to fully live, work or even breathe authentically because of transphobia which brings me back to why we must say her name.

I say her name because I am Trans*.

It is absolutely my duty to fight for not only my freedom to live authentically as a Queer, Black, Trans masculine Jew, but for my sisters, Trans women of color to do the same.

I say her name because I am Black.

Tamara Dominguez, 30 years old

Papi Edwards, 20 years old

Lamia Beard, 30 years old

Ty Underwood, 24 years old

Yazmin Vash Payne, 33 years old

Taja Gabrielle de Jesus, 36 years old   

Penny Proud, 21 years old

Kristina Gomez Reinwald, 46 years old

London Chanel, 21 years old

Mercedes Williamson, 17 years old

India Clarke, 25 years old

K.C. Haggard, 66 years old

Amber Monroe, 20 years old

Ms. Sade Schuler, 20 years old

Ashton O’Hara, 25 years old

Kandis Capri, 35 years old

Elisha Walker, 20 years old

Mya Hall, 27 years old

I say her name because she is human.

It is for her that I mourn.

I cry.

I scream.

I pray. 

And I act. 

I also speak life over those black trans women of color who are still with us.  For Ka’Milla, Joss and other  wonderful Trans women of color,  I speak life, knowing that their black trans lives matter to me and I will do everything I can to make sure I affirm them while they are alive while not letting those who have been taken from us die in vain.

#BlackTransLivesMatter and that is why I #SayHerName