The report found that at least 33 transgender and gender non-conforming people were killed last year
The nation’s largest gay rights group released its latest data on deadly attacks on transgender and gender non-conforming people, calling an “epidemic of violence” targeting the community, especially young Black trans women.
The Human Rights Campaign found that at least 33 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been murdered in the United States since November of last year. Of these deaths, 26 deaths have been recorded so far this year, after the total number of deaths reached 26 41 deaths recorded last year. The annual report was released on Monday to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance.
“The epidemic of violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people is a national embarrassment,” Kelly Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, wrote in the report. “Each of these lives lost is a tragedy – the result of a society that denigrates anyone who dares to challenge the gender binary.”
People of color make up the largest share of transgender and gender nonconforming victims of fatal violence since the group began tracking such data in 2013. This year, 69% of all victims were Black, and 51% were Black trans women, according to the report. Hispanic people were the second largest group of victims, making up 21% of the total deaths. Eggs accounted for 9% of deaths.
The data also showed that most of the victims were under 35 years old. Last year, the average age of victims was 28, according to the report.
The Human Rights Campaign has identified at least 335 transgender and gender non-conforming people who have been murdered in the past decade. The past four years have been particularly deadly for the community, with 171 deaths recorded. In 2021, the number of deaths recorded by the human rights organization in one year peaked at 59.
The report stressed that their numbers are likely undercounted, because “data collection is often incomplete or unreliable when it comes to violent and fatal crimes against transgender and gender non-conforming people.”
It also included a call for lawmakers to take action to address violence toward LGBT people by passing legislation such as the Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in many areas, including employment, housing and education. Bill A was approved House vote in 2021 But he saw no movement in the Senate.
National Human Rights Campaign declared Emergency for LGBTQ people earlier this year in response to the increasing numbers of anti-LGBTQ bills being introduced nationwide. The majority of the bills target transgender people, according to the rights group, and aim to limit their use of bathrooms, access to gender-affirming care and participation in sports.
For more from NBC Out, Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
