When we look at mainstream news coverage, it’s no secret that police brutality against young, unarmed black men is an American epidemic. From the polarizing stories about Trayvon Martin to the subsequent reports about Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and Freddie Gray, it seems the media has finally been enlightened about the very violent injustice taking place all across the country. But when it comes to the deaths of transgender men and women, the news crews simply skim over the stories or fail to mention them at all.
It’s not like there’s a lack of news to report. In early May, the Trans Murder Monitoring Project released data stating that 100 transgender people had already been murdered in 2016. This is globally. But still, it’s news that deserves our attention. Especially because many of these deaths are happening right here at home. According to an article in Planet Transgender, a trans person is killed in every 29 hours. It’s a staggering statistic considering trans people make up less than 1% of the world’s population.
On May 25 of this year, Amos Beede of Burlington, Vermont was murdered. He was beaten to death by four assailants in a homeless encampment. He was included in a touching tribute in The Advocate. But outside of gay media, coverage was almost non-existent. Sure, if you conduct a basic Google search, you will definitely find articles, including the articles on the capture of the two men and two women who murdered him. But if you expected to hear about this on the nightly news, think again.
22-year-old Keyonna Blakeney was found dead in a hotel room in Rockville, Maryland in mid-April. Demarkis Stansberry was killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on February 27.
If you follow gay news outlets closely, these names are probably familiar to you. But if you rely on traditional sources for your daily dose of national happenings, this is more than likely the first time you’re hearing about any of these victims.
When it comes to senseless crimes against blacks, those victims have become the faces of a movement. After Trayvon Martin’s death, it was impossible to turn on any program or scroll through any newsfeed without seeing an update about the corresponding trial. The nation was collectively outraged. He was young. He was innocent. His only crime was being different and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He lost his life because of someone else’s hate and ignorance.
The same can be said for Amos, Keyonna, and Demarkis. But when it comes to the nightly news hierarchy, transgender stories don’t rank at the top. In fact, the news often paints a picture of progress. There are always stories about Caitlyn Jenner’s red carpet looks and awards show appearances. Laverne Cox’s casting in the Rocky Horror Picture Show is touted as a landmark achievement. And yes, while these aspects of the LGBT struggle are definitely newsworthy, so is transgender death.
The fact that so many news outlets repeatedly look over these stories sends a message that their deaths aren’t important. While it’s obvious that not every single death in America can be reported on the news, these aren’t just any deaths. These people are being targeted because of their differences. They are victims of ignorance. But the news teams in our country seem to be afraid to connect the dots and paint the bigger picture. Transgender murders are becoming a hate epidemic. We need the news teams on our side to bring this to light.
Many of the victims of these crimes are black. Are they doubly disenfranchised? Therefore, they already have two strikes against them when it comes to national recognition? There’s a longstanding belief that the general public just doesn’t care about stories involving trans victims. Despite the news networks’ responsibility to deliver the actual news, their decision making is based on ratings and little else. Dawn Ennis’ 2015 piece from The Advocate is a disturbing case study of this very practice.
So what does it take for the mainstream media to pay more attention? We have to be louder. We have to speak up and demand the coverage. We have to fight to ensure these trans people haven’t died in vain. We have to let our networks know that we expect more. Black Lives Matter gathered their resources and made sure everyone heard them loud and clear. It’s time that the LGBT+ community does the same.
