I encourage you to read each of the following 350 names and ages out loud, the way I did when copying them down. They are the names and ages of trans people who have been murdered between 1 October 2019 and 30 September, 2020 – that is, the names that have been reported as murders of trans people. The real number is likely higher due to unreported or misreported murders. 

The list of murdered people spans the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. They were artists, activists, sex workers, beauticians, merchants, and more. The youngest were 15. They were all killed brutally, likely because of their identity. 

Think also of all those trans people who have died due to lack of proper medical care, or mental and physical health issues that arise from having to live with transphobia and discrimination every day. Those who have lost their lives because society would not accept them for who they are.

And think of all the people who have to deal with the daily trauma of being rejected and hurt by those around them, based on an aspect of their identity they cannot control. 

We must work to change society, so that everyone can live as themselves without experiencing fear or hate. For some of us this work is not a choice, but a necessity, a fact of life. When you experience transphobia constantly, you find yourself a continuous battle to simply exist. But if you have the privilege of choosing whether to fight transphobia, make that choice.

It should not be up to trans people to fix society. It is incumbent upon everyone to work to eliminate transphobia, and to create a truly just and equal world.

No name, age unknown. No name, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Paola Araujo, 31. Rony Goncalves, 47. Soledad Fernández, 40. Michelly Almeida, age unknown. La Diva, 30. Vidalia Molina Delgado, 35. Julia, 30. Deborah Carranza, 40. Hamsa, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Romanic, age unknown. Michelly Faiffer, age unknown. Lorena Vicente, 23. Brianna “BB” Hill, 30. Lina Marcela Jiménez Granados, 26. I D da Silva, 40. No name, 47. Chicho Chirinos, 49. Anahy Miranda Rivas, 27. Bruna, 30. Bruna Soares, 23. No name, age unknown. No name, 43. No name, age unknown. Paula Santos, 26. Jade Camila Díaz, 27. Brighiit Mirón, 15. Pedrita, 47. Daphine Kauane, 15. Michelle “N”, age unknown. Gisella Corvalán, 47. Mónica de la Torre, age unknown. Jerrika Rivas Ruiz, 28. Victoria Pineda, 28. La Pompis, 41. Sarita, 40. Pedrita, 20. Carol, age unknown. Coral, age unknown. Rafaella Sales, 26. Isabelly Prado, 23. Monica Coelho, 44. Alejandra, 38. No name, age unknown. Rosa Granados, 28. No name, age unknown. Mufa Álava, 30. E L, 20. Nicole, 33. Marcelle Brandina, 23. Veronica de Oliveira, 40. Lorrana Martins dos Santos, age unknown. Nikki Kuhnhausen, 17. No name, age unknown. Yahira Nesby, 33. Cristi Conde Vásquez, 28. Kendall, 19. No name, 49. Andrea Nayhelli, 46. Julie Berman, 51. Luciana Robledo, 32. Alice Nóbrega, 30. Mia Perry, 26. Ely Pimentel, age unknown. Dustin Parker, 25. Nare Mphela, 27. Jennifer Ávila, 25. Selena Peixoto, 37. Sapna, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Andressa, 20. Vitoria dos Santos, 19. No name, age unknown. Hans Acevedo, 46. Brenda Landázury, 24. Giselle Katrine, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Jussara Ríos, 40. No name, age unknown. Tamara, 24. Paulinha, 24. No name, age unknown. Kimberley McRae, 69. No name, age unknown. Briyit Michelle Alas, 25. Fabiola, age unknown. Ana Clara LIma, 38. No name, 25. Ajita Bhujel, 29. Hilary Medina, 22. Leticia, 17. Morgana Ribeiro, 37. No name, age unknown. Shakira, 27. No name, age unknown. Bruna Oliveira, 23. Mari de Bastos LIma, 37. No name, age unknown. Wedylla Brenner Darack, 25. Roberta Barbajal, 50. Isabelle Colstt, 27. No name, age unknown. Samantha do Valle, 20. Guadalupe, 45. Joyce Berlim, 28. Dorete Lopes Leal, age unknown. B Mimbela del Águila, 26. Sabrina Sampaio, 20. Valera, 46. Nicol, age unknown. Thabata Oliveira Blus, 31. Mamta, age unknown. Nenem, 38. Katarina Ariel, 22. No name, age unknown. Isabelle Oliveira, age unknown. Monique Matías Chagas, age unknown. Bruna Karla, 23. Ritchely Silva, 25. No name, age unknown. Lara Argento, age unknown. Gaby, 21. Gabrielly Vanderguel, 28. Jessyca Sarmiento, 38. Bruna Andrade, 30. Maria Eduarda Aires Dias, 32. Alexa Murder, 29. No name, age unknown. No name, 31. “La Chachis”, 32. Ali Mamani Huamani, 44. Meenu, age unknown. Alexia Freires Pereira, 28. Alexa Negrón Luciano, age unknown. Yampi Méndez Arocha, 19. Karly Sasha Chinina Palomino, 33. Patsy Andrea, age unknown. Tita, 32. S Coronel Guerrero, 32. Talita, age unknown. Ludmila Nascimento dos Santos, age unknown. Isadora, 51. No name, age unknown. No name, 31. Stephanie Cardona Matías, 32. Valeria Belem, age unknown. No name, 30. Vijji, 28. Monika Diamond, 34. Rafhynha Pimenta, 25. Britany, 25. Paloma, 22. La Marquesa, age unknown. Kelly, 35. Daniela Sauceda, age unknown. Karla Valentina N, 25. Naomi Nicole “La Soñaré”, 25. No name, 30. Lexi, 33. No name, 20. No name, 35. Luisa Sandoval Lemus, 24. Jennifer Alcantara, 34. Fabiola Pereira Andrade, 48. Rayka Franca, 26. Musa, 15. J F do Nascimento Martins, 27. Mira, 43. No name, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Sasha Santos, age unknown. Ana Karen Velasco Castelán, 25. Johanna Metzger, 25. Luana Alves, 25. No name, 25. Leca do Beral, 33. Penelope Diaz Ramirez, 31. Paloma Salas Jiménez, 33. Mafer Marbella Santos, 28. No name, age unknown. Leticia, 18. Oscar, 28. Layla Peláez Sánchez, 21. Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, 32. Eduarda, 33. No name, age unknown. Leto, age unknown. M D Alberto, age unknown. Natasha Lobato, 30. Diamante, 20. Marianne Andreolli, age unknown. Jade dos Santos, 35. Fernanda de Souza Paiva, age unknown. Nina Pop, 28. No name, age unknown. Luz Clara, 23. Helle Jae O’Regan, 20. Teresa C, 22. Fábia Oliveira, 22. No name, age unknown. Heerawas, age unknown. Jayne Thompsom, 33. No name, age unknown. No name, 56. Robertina Santos, 42. Harini, age unknown. Paula, age unknown. No name, 33. Jesusa Fidel Ventura Reyes, age unknown. No name, 30. Karlotta, age unknown. Tony McDade, 38. Cryslaibe de Manaus, age unknown. Alejandra Monocuco, 39. Michael, age unknown. Fernanda Antelo, 32. Selena Reyes-Hernandez, 37. Valentina Ferrety, age unknown. Jade, age unknown. Grampoula, age unknown. Keila Nunes, age unknown. Luanny Kell, age unknown. Riah Milton, 25. Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, 27. Ketlin, 22. Essi Granlund, 26. Ariadna Ojeda, 20. Brian “Egypt” Powers, 43. Paulina, 18. Ariadna, age unknown. Brandy Carolina Brown, 30. Márcia Shokenna Bastos da Silva, 28. Aysu Mammadli, 28. M R Saravia, 26. No name, age unknown. Babalu, 40. Brayla Stone, 17. Anel Valenzuela, 45. Lady Gaga, 30. Marceli Souza, 41. Fernanda Machado, age unknown. No name, 23. Eilyn Catalina, 21. Veronica Ferreira Lima, age unknown. Merci Mack, 22. Shaki Peters, 32. Vicky dos Santos, 22. Vida Borges de Melo, age unknown. Bree Black, 27. Yandra Karony Santos, age unknown. Mateus López Mejía, 25. Summer Taylor, 24. No name, age unknown. Kaushik Sunil Narayan Kar, 17. Carol Eleoterio da Silva, 36. Leidy Padilla Daza, 41. Scarlet Cáceres, 22. Cristal Romero Matos, 52. Soraya Oliveira, age unknown. Marilyn Cazares, 22. Tifany Alves Medeiros, 51. Leona, age unknown. Bombom, age unknown. Rhyanna Mabelly Spanick, age unknown. Manuela de Cassia, 48. Steffany Dior, 36. Pablo Iván F, 21. Monic Martínez, 44. Exón Vélez, age unknown. Tiffany Harris, 32. Doroty Balbino de Lima, 40. Queasha D Hardy, 24. Denisse Torres, 39. Cristhal López, 30. Aja Raquell Rhone-Spears, 32. Raiane Rodigues dos Reis, 46. Josselin, 26. No name, age unknown. Brenda Venegas Ayquipa, 52. Luisa Ávila Henao, 23. No name, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Samira, age unknown. Paloma, age unknown. No name, 15. Alice Garrefa, age unknwon. Brigit, 38. Leticia Costa, 29. Vanessa Solorsano, 20. Kee Sam, 24. Barbara Ellen, 53. Samantha Rosales Barrios, 23. Anushka, 35. Bhavani, 34. Francesca Galatro, 66. Emily Taylor, 26. Piya, 20. Dani Rodrigues, 20. Patricia Dumont, age unknown. Julie Torres, age unknown. Claudinha Leite, 20. Bernadete, age unknown. Lorena María del Luján Riquel, 39. Luara Redfeld, 23. No name, age unknown. Isabella Pedrozo, 22. No name, 30. Angoori, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Britani Jacqueline, age unknown. Brandy Cortez, age unknown. No name, 30. Jeanine Huerta López, age unknown. Nida Choudhry, age unknown. Branca Aldama, 37. Melody Barrera, 27. Brenda Levi, 52. No name, 30. Mireya Rodriguez, age unknown. Chiara Duarte, 27. Katherine Rosmery Duvall, age unknown. Gabriela Cruz Pimentel, 46. Ekta Joshi, 41. Leslie Alejandra Ferreti, age unknown. Giovana Perez, age unknown. Kathlyn Aviles, 30. B E Álvarez Hernández, 25. Gul Parana, 35. Saad, 32. Nem, 33. No name, age unknown. Susana Criado Anton, 60. Jardiele Santos, 24. No name, age unknown. No name, age unknown. Aerrion Burnett, 37. Barbie Macon, 34. A V, 24. Brenda Sanchez, 35. Juliana Giraldo Díaz, 38. Sandra Beatriz Ranguel, 23. Francesca Cornejo, 63. Mia Green, 29. Rayssa, age unknown. Donna Nierra, 23. Michellyn Ramos Vargas, 35. Michele, age unknown. 

Image by Ted Eytan (Creative Commons)