LGBTQ Lives Matter

The chilling reports of the deaths of two transgender women in Louisiana both black, shows us a segment of the population that has been marginalized; continues to suffer. According to reports, the women were identified as Draya McCarty and Shakie Peters. Their bodies were found in Baton Rouge and Amite respectively. As of press time, there has been limited information released by law enforcement regarding the women's deaths, as agencies say that they are working to resolve those cases. However, to many in the world of transgender women, their cries for justice has largely gone unheard when it comes to violence perpetuated against them because of the stigmas placed on them for decades from communities that would rather not have them at all. Homosexuals have been the target of those who have long said that they have "torn down the fabric" of society with a "lifestyle" that they want the rest of society to emulate. For many it is flat out racism that has led to homophobic attacks against a group of people who only want to "be accepted" for what they are and to be able to pursue their dreams. It is especially disturbing that the overwhelming number of transgender women killed in the last decade, have been black. The recent killings of transgender women in Dallas, TX and other areas of the nation have set off alarms in the gay communities that have them frightened; leaving them to seek refuge among themselves. The political climate over the last several decades has left them without virtually any legal protection from the federal government, though some states do offer them limited protection.

Transgender women have faced contempt from family members who would sometimes disavow them. Therefore, they would leave home with nowhere to go. They can find themselves in the wrong company where they may engage in sex to survive, as in many cases, they are seen less than human. Legislators in many areas of the nation do not even pay lip service to promoting equal protection under the law as spelled out in the Constitution. The words "all men are created equal with certain inalienable rights which among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" rings hollow to the ears of black Americans, more so with black people in the LGBTQ community. Men(people)are created "equal" in one sense, that is by the union of sperm and egg. After that, one is on his/her own. Transgender black women have seen the ugly side of life, as some in society look at their deaths as something that they deserved because they "may" have deceived a man who found them attractive, only to become angry and kill them. They also believe that a person "is justified" in taking whatever action is used against them.

There are organizations out there to promote the cause of transgender women and are calling attention to the issues that they face from everyday life. They want more cooperation from law enforcement authorities through transparency. These organizations tell us that black women such as Draya McCarty and Shakie Peters do not feel safe in their own communities that goes back to a time when gay people were told to "stay in the closet". We have all known someone who was "different", whether it was a family member, friend or the neighbor down the street that we looked upon with a righteous indignation toward them. All they wanted then and now, is to be accepted as who they are. They are not going anywhere until when God decides that man's reign on earth is over. This is not Sodom/Gomorrah all over again. It is about everybody being treated the same, no matter who they are. We are not judges, but we can be protectors. If we want to. God's people will love in spite of. What better way to show it than to those who didn't ask to be the way they are? LGBTQ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning. These terms are used to describe a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. It is also a social movement that aims to let people live their lives to their fullest, that advocates for acceptance of sexual orientations and the full variety of gender identities beyond that of the last generation's norms.We still have a ways to go.

Photo Brayla Stone transgender woman was murdered in Little Rock,AR. Last week at the height of Pride season, Brayla Stone became the 8th transgender woman killed in a 7-day period. Brayla was only 17 years old. Shortly after her death, an individual, a transphobic man boasted explicitly on social media about killing her; saying that he was payed $5,000 dollars for the crime. Arkansas police arrested the suspect. ALL black lives matter, let's get justice for Brayla!