Studies indicated a disproportionately higher recorded rate of Black trans women being murdered in the United States. There are several factors that affect the livelihoods of Black trans women: denial of healthcare, rejection from loved ones, homelessness, survival sex work, the list goes on. Though seemingly unrelated, the perpetuation of these denials of personhood only further to put trans women of color in danger. 

In a privatized healthcare system like here in the United States, healthcare is not exactly seen a human right, but rather a privilege. Even then, just this past month that privilege became restricted to transgender individuals after the Affordable Care Act was overturned to explicitly remove the prohibition of gender identity discrimination, arguing it was to protect religious freedom which in turn could reaffirm the Trump Administrations use of religious freedom to codify discrimination. When setting this kind of example at the federal level, it sets the precedent that trans people are not people to be respected or listened to. Denial of healthcare is just the first step in the othering of transgender people. It’s a dangerous slippery slope that opens the floodgates for more heinous acts of violence towards an already disadvantaged group of people.

In 2018, seventeen Black transgender women were reportedly killed; there are still a couple months left in the year and we have already surpassed last year’s count. One in ten trans people are attacked every year. Half of the transgender population are survivors of sexual assault. Black trans women are more likely to be fired due to their gender identity, 1 in 4 in comparison to the 1 in 6 non-Black trans people. They are also three times more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the United States population. Long story short, Black trans women have the short end of every stick and through illuminating White and/or cisgender people on the issues they do not normally face we can all fight for better treatment and protections for Black transgender women.

Black transgender women are of most disenfranchised groups of people in the United States. This campaign has been created to spread awareness to the people who may not face the disadvantages that the intersection of Black and transgender and feminine do face day to day.