Trans Day of Remembrance: Honoring lives lost, addressing violence

MIAMI – Wednesday marks Trans Day of Remembrance, a time to honor members of the trans community who were murdered. 
Among those remembered is Nedras Sequence Moss, known as Sequence, whose vibrant personality and authentic life left an indelible mark on those who knew her.
“Her personality was very outgoing and bubbly, and her presence was big,” recalled Ashlee Hollerman, Sequence’s God Sister. “She could make you smile, no matter who you were or where you came from.”
Sequence, a proud trans woman, was killed a year and a half ago in Opa-locka.
“She was murdered in her own vehicle by someone off the streets,” Ashlee said, a tragedy that underscores the ongoing dangers faced by transgender individuals.
Ashlee said fear is an ever-present reality for many in the trans community. “At any second, any minute, any hour of the day, this could be you simply because of who you are.”
Tori Cooper of the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Trans Justice Initiative calls the violence a “state of emergency.” A recent HRC report revealed that since 2013, ten trans people have been killed in the Miami area, tied for the third-highest total in the U.S. behind Chicago and Houston.
This year alone, two trans individuals were murdered in South Florida: one in Hallandale Beach and another in Miami.
The report highlights the disproportionate impact of violence on Black transgender women and transgender individuals from Hispanic and other communities of color. Florida accounted for 9% of all trans murders nationwide, second only to Texas. Both states have recently passed numerous anti-LGBTQ laws.
“It’s telling me that more needs to be done,” Cooper said. “There’s something going on in Florida that makes people feel they can get away with killing human beings.”
Despite the challenges, Ashlee and Cooper hold on to hope for a future without violence. “We have family, we have friends, we have people who care about us the same as anybody else,” Ashlee said. “We shouldn’t be discarded just because we’re trans.”
As the community remembers those lost, advocates like Cooper emphasize the need for systemic change and greater protections. 
To get a look at the HRC report, click here.