NCAVP mourns the homicide of Erykah Tijerina, a transgender woman of color killed in El Paso, Texas

NCAVP mourns the homicide of Erykah Tijerina, a transgender woman of color killed in El Paso, Texas; the 17th reported killing of a transgender/gender non-conforming person NCAVP has responded to in 2016

August 11, 2016 - The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has learned of the homicide of Erykah Tijerina, a Latinx transgender woman, in El Paso, Texas. According to local media reports, Erykah was found dead inside the Rio Grande Apartments on Monday, August 8th, and police have said the scene showed signs of foul play. Local police and media originally misnamed and misgendered when reporting, but were quickly corrected by Erykah's family. Erykah's sisters spoke out, saying that Erykah was funny, giving and unapologetic about who she was. "She's the one that told me to stay strong and not care," Pearl Tijerina told reporters. The family has set up a GoFundMe account to assist with Erykah's funeral costs.

"Trans Pride Initiative would like to encourage all community and accomplices to raise our collective voices against not just the media and police misidentification, but also the broad state-sponsored stigma that is growing in Texas and elsewhere, which fuels bias that exacerbates bullying in our schools, refusal of social services, denial of employment and other life opportunities, and increases the many faces of violence with which our community is so familiar," said Nell Gaither, President of Trans Pride Initiative located in Dallas, Texas.

"This is the fourth homicide of a transgender woman of color that NCAVP has responded to this summer," said Emily Waters, Senior Manager of National Research and Policy at the New York City Anti-Violence Project. "Until we address the racism, misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia that permeates all of our everyday environments, these homicides will continue to happen. It's on all of us to end the violence that transgender and gender non-conforming people experience daily."

NCAVP's most recent hate violence report, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Hate Violence in 2015, recorded 24 reported hate violence homicides of LGBTQ people, a 20% increase from the 20 reported anti-LGBTQ homicides in 2014. Of the 24 reported homicides, 62% of the victims were people of color. Sixteen (67%) of the 24 reported homicide victims were transgender and gender non-conforming. Of the total number of homicides, thirteen (54%) of the victims were transgender women of color.

This is the seventeenth* reported killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person that NCAVP has responded to this year. Along with Erykah Tijerina we have lost Skye Mockabee, a Black transgender woman (Cleveland, OH) Dee Whigham, a Black transgender woman (St. Martin. Mississippi), Deeniquia Dodds, a Black transgender woman (Washington, DC) Goddess Diamond, a black transgender woman (New Orleans, LA), Amos Beede, a white transgender man (Burlington, VT), Mercedes Successful, a Black transgender woman (Haines City, FLA), Reese Walker, a Black Transgender Women (Wichita, KS), Keyonna Blakeney, a Black transgender woman (Rockville, MD), Shante Thompson, a Black transgender woman (Houston, TX), Jasmine Sierra, a Latin@ transgender woman (Bakersfield, CA), Monica Loera, a Latina transgender woman (Austin, TX), Kayden Clarke, a white transgender man (Mesa, AZ), Maya Young, a Black transgender woman (Philadelphia, PA), Demarkis Stamsberry, a Black transgender man (Baton Rouge, LA), and Kedarie/Kandicee Johnson, a Black, gender-fluid 16-year-old (Burlington, IA) and Quartney Davia Dawsonn-Yochum, a Black transgender woman (Los Angeles, CA).

*NCAVP is also looking into the death of Veronica Cano, a Black transgender woman, in San Antonio Texas. As of now there is no known cause of death, however, we are continuing to monitor.

NCAVP is a resource for anyone who experiences violence. For more information, or to locate an anti-violence program in your area, please contact us at info@ncavp.org or visit us online. Join NCAVP in our efforts to prevent and respond to LGBTQ and HIV-affected violence. To learn more about our national advocacy and receive technical assistance or support, contact us at info@ncavp.org.
lence Project: syacka@avp.org or 212-714-1184

NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.

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