May 4, 2020 - In 2020 alone, there has already been eight documented murders of transgender people. Four of those eight murders have occurred in Puerto Rico and it makes clear how the attacks on our transgender and gender non-conforming communities continue to rise. We have witnessed the murders of our trans sisters and watched as most of the nation stayed silent. In February, performer Bad Bunny wore a statement shirt reading, “They killed Alexa, not a man in a skirt,” during his live performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Many applauded him for defying gender roles and for using his platform to uplift the murder of Alexa Negrón Luciano, a trans woman who was murdered in Puerto Rico and was largely misgendered as a “man in a skirt”. This action engaged the nation to talk about the heightened transphobia in the United States and specifically in Puerto Rico. However, this outraged seems short-lived as violence continues to happen to trans people.
Just three months following the murder of Alexa, two more trans women have had their lives taken due to transphobia, their names are Serena Angelique Velázquez Ramos, a 32-year-old and Layla Pelaez Sánchez, 21. So why has the nation remained silent regarding the continuous violence faced by trans women in Puerto Rico, and across the world? Only giving this issue thought when celebrities, such as Bad Bunny, choose to make bold statements ( Something like that.) Our solidarity with trans women in Puerto Rico requires action, and continuous support/visibility, further than a one-time political statement that more-so uplifted the career of BB rather than the safety of those who are truly being harmed. In the same month, Bad Bunny released a music video for the song “Yo Perreo Sola” (I Twerk Alone) and was applauded for his bravery in dressing in drag. A cisgender man dressed in drag is praised and celebrated, while trans women in Puerto Rico, living authentically in their bodies, and harassed, assaulted, and murdered.
In the midst of COVID-19, there is a blanket of stress and uncertainty placed upon the world, and these are difficult times, but the violence against trans women continues despite a global pandemic. Transgender people must be kept in conversation during this time because the silence and lack of action is leading to the death of our siblings. We must uplift and bring attention to the violence being faced by trans women in Puerto Rico, and support those that are still living.
Today, in partnership with our sibling organizations, we are releasing a video to highlight how transphobia presents itself in day-to-day interactions and how each of those instances “kills us.” It’s the silence and lack of action, the indifference, and insensitivity, the stigma, and stereotypes. It’s when you misgender us and call us men in dresses. When you don’t acknowledge our existence and makes us feel invisible. This video is a reminder that trans, gender non-conforming, and intersex people have existed for generations, we are leaders and fighters and we deserve dignity and respect. Therefore, we demand that you take action to commit to challenging these subtle and damaging micro-instances that lead to larger violence on our community.