2021 Marks The Deadliest Year For BIPOC Transgender and Non-Binary People

47 trans and non-binary people have been murdered since Januray 1st, signaling a record high since 2013.

Tyrina Anderson, left, along with friends and family, mourns the loss of her daughter, Taya Anderson, a 20-year-old transgender woman who was shot and killed in her apartment in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland. July 21, 2021. Credit: Getty Images
Tyrina Anderson, left, along with friends and family, mourns the loss of her daughter, Taya Anderson, a 20-year-old transgender woman who was shot and killed in her apartment in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland. July 21, 2021. Credit: Getty Images

2021 has officially been declared the deadliest year for transgender and non-binary people, with Black and Brown transgender and gender non-confirming individuals being among the most at-risk groups.

According to the Human Rights Campaign report, 47 trans and non-binary people have been killed since January 1st, marking a record high since 2013. The report, which indicates a sharp increase from 2020, came just days before Transgender Remembrance Day, on November 20.

Of the 46 victims that were killed in 2021, 29 were Black and eight were Latinx. Since January 2013, more than 250 transgender people were victims of fatal attacks, two-thirds of which were Black women.

The rise in murders reportedly stems from an increase in harmful legislation that seeks to limit vital healthcare access for transgender people. Between the start of 2020 and April 2021, over 75 bills targeting transgender youth were introduced — many limiting access to basic resources such as healthcare and sports.

According to The Human Rights Campaign, the U.S. still lacks federal protections for discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, which puts many BIPOC transgender people even more at risk.
 

Outside the realm of politics, many trans activists list social stigma as a major factor linked to the increase in violence and hate crimes. According to the FBI, there were 7,559 single-bias hate crime incidents and more than 10,500 victims of hate crimes in the U.S, 20.5% of which were targeted due to their sexual orientation and gender identity.

After Dave Chapelle’s Netflix special sparked controversy over transphobic remarks, more than 30 Netflix workers participated in a walkout on October 20.

Netflix has kept the special, which is still available for streaming. In the aftermath of the controversy, Terra Field, a trans software engineer, has resigned.

Fields posted a copy of her resignation online in solidarity with her fellow transgender colleague, who was let go from the company, stating, “This isn’t how I thought things would end, but I’m relieved to have closure.”

As it stands today, the Violence Against Women Act, the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and the decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, are some of the few existing legal protections in place.