Transgender people should be protected by the justice system instead of being seen as a threat. The crimes against transgender people need to be recognized more and there needs to be helpful assistance to help stop the ongoing violence.
Each Month Covers A Death
Multiple transgender people have been killed each month in a year because there is little being done to stop the violence against transgender people. The article “2020 Was The Deadliest Year Ever For Anti-Trans Violence: 2021 Could Be Worse” states, “By the end of … February [2020], two trans people had been murdered in the United States: Dustin Parker, a 25-year-old shot to death in McAlester, Oklahoma in January, and Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, killed in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico the following month.” Both transgender people were killed the following month, which is upsetting. The increasing rate of transgender people being killed in one month alone is cruel. On April 21st, 2021, a 24-year-old black transgender woman named Tiara Banks was killed in Chicago, Illinois while sitting in her car when shot; on April 23rd, 2021, a 22- year- old Latinx transgender woman in Houston, Texas named Iris Santos was killed while sitting at a picnic table eating her food; and on April 24th in Dallas, Texas, a 38-year-old black transgender woman named Tiffany Thomas was killed. The killings that are happening anger me because two transgender people were killed in places people would believe are safe; this means that transgender people aren’t safe anywhere. This is an important matter; the attitude toward transgender people is negative and it shows when transgender people are killed in broad daylight in places that are considered safe. Every month and sometimes every other day, a transgender person is killed. It’s becoming a constant and nobody is stepping in to help.
Cases That Go Unsolved
Some transgender people don’t report their assault to the police. The justice system must protect them so they can record lost data to better understand the situation that transgender people are going through. According to “How the Criminal Justice System Has Failed Transgender Americans”, “57% of trans people feel uncomfortable calling the police for help.” Transgender people would feel uncomfortable calling the police because the police won’t see them as victims according to their gender. It has been reported that 58% of transgender people who encountered police enforcement that knew they were transgender experience harassment and abuse from the police. The justice system isn’t realizing that they are disregarding the transgender community. The mistreatment from the police needs to be checked because the police are getting away with murder. An example of that was when Mya Hall, a transgender woman, was killed by the police for making a wrong turn. Not only that, a disabled transgender man, Kayden Clarke, was killed by the police when they were asked to talk him out of committing suicide. No justice has been shown since. The justice system needs to step in and protect transgender individuals, so the mistreatment won’t continue. The justice system needs to make sure transgender individuals don’t feel afraid to call the police after being assaulted because if this continues, the gross number of transgender people not reporting will increase and the assaulter will attack again because they know the assault will go unreported to the police. The justice system needs to become a safety net for transgender individuals to rely on because right now, they are scared to even dial 9-1-1.
Protection For Transgender People
Transgender people would feel more confident in calling the police if the justice system protected them by making it loud and clear that if an officer shows any abuse toward a transgender person, they will be fired. The officers need to be held accountable for endangering transgender people’s safety. They would feel freer to go outside by themselves without fear of attack if the justice system is ensuring transgender people are feeling seen. Transgender people shouldn’t feel as if they have to hide their gender identity from the police or anyone.
Call For Action
The violence against transgender people must stop because another transgender person’s life will be taken by force, and people need to take action. People need to recognize the increasing rates of transgender people being killed or assaulted. Organizations are here for a reason: to help and guide those who are lost. Some profit organizations and nonprofits protecting transgender people that people can contribute to include the National Center For Transgender Equality, Parity’s Transgender Safety Project, Transgender Law Center, and National Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. There are organizations that people can join to help the trans youth feel that they do matter and have support, whether it’s family or not. Giving transgender people shelter, food, and therapy to talk out how they feel matters, and people need to notice and stand up to take action because the violence against transgender people needs to stop, or transgender people will be too scared to come outside and be themselves.
In Conclusion
The violence against transgender people is getting worse. The crimes being committed against this community aren’t being reported as they should be because of the mistreatment from the justice system and the police. A transgender person can’t sit or walk anywhere because nowhere is considered safe for them. It’s like some people want transgender people to be gone and not noticed. There have been 29 transgender people and counting harmed by hateful violence since the start of 2021, and there should be ways to step in to keep transgender people safe.