Felycya Harris becomes the 31st known trans person to be violently killed in the United States this year so far
Felycya Harris, who became the 31st trans person violently killed so far this year in the United States (Facebook)
Felycya Harris has become the 31st known transgender person to be violently killed in the United States so far this year.
Harris, 33, was shot dead in Meadowbrook Park in Augusta, Georgia on Saturday (3 October). Her body was discovered shortly after 1pm, local media reported.
Her death was initially classed as suspicious by police, however law enforcement authorities confirmed on Monday (5 October) that it was being treated as a homicide.
Harris, a self-employed interior decorator, became the third trans person killed in the area in the last year.
Friends and family of trans woman Felycya Harris were thrown into mourning as news of her death broke.
Her friends were left in shock and mourning as news of her death broke.
“Everybody’s going to remember Flycya. That laugh. The smile – the smiles. The talks. The arguments. The attitudes. Everybody is going to remember who Felycya Harris is. Nobody would ever forget who that is,” Ricola Collier, Harris’ friend, told WRDW.
“I just want justice to be served for my friend,” Collier added.
A suspect has not yet been identified in the case, and local police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
“With news of the death of Felycya Harris, we have hit a grim milestone: We have now matched the highest number of transgender or gender non-conforming people who were victims of fatal violence in one year – and there are three more months left in the year,” said Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Alphonso David.
“This epidemic of violence, which is particularly impacting transgender women of colour, must and can be stopped.
“We must work to address the factors that underpin this culture of violence and openly discuss how the intersection of racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia work to deprive transgender and gender non-conforming people of equal access to opportunity and necessities like employment, housing and healthcare.”
This epidemic of violence, which is particularly impacting transgender women of colour, must and can be stopped.
Since Harris’ death, she has been deadnamed and misgendered by some local media outlets in a cruel blow to those that loved her.
The number of trans people violently killed in 2020 has already surpassed the number who died in similar circumstances in 2019.
According to LGBT+ rights groups, the true number of trans people violently killed is likely even higher, as many are deadnamed or their deaths are misreported by media.
