A Trans Woman Was Killed In Florida—And Initial Reports Misgendered Her

Sasha Garden, 27, was killed in Orlando, Florida on July 19. She's the fourth trans woman of color to be murdered in the state this year. (Other victims are Celine Walker, Antash'a English, and Cathalina Christina James.)

"She was a firecracker - very outspoken," said Miracle of Love transgender women and outreach coordinator Mulan Montrese Williams to Orlando Weekly. "She didn't hold her tongue for anyone or anybody. Her womanhood was one of those things she stood up for. She didn't tolerate any disrespect at all."

Garden aspired to be a stylist and was saving money through sex work to fund the rest of her transition, Williams told Orlando Weekly. Garden was initially misgendered in police reports of her death, even though Williams identified Garden as female.

The initial report identified Garden as a 27-year-old man from Jacksonville, who "was wearing a wig and was dressed as a female."

"You know when something happens, we don't call police," Williams said. "We don't want to be judged by the police. We don't want to be misgendered by officers. They still tell us, 'We have to call you by your government name, what's on your ID.'"

GLAAD released a response on the devastating news.

"Transgender people, especially transgender women of color, are disproportionately affected by hate violence," said Nick Adams, Director of Transgender Media & Representation at GLAAD. "The tragedy of these incidents is compounded when reporting misgenders the person in death, disrespecting their true identity. As we mourn the deaths of four trans women of color in Orlando and Jacksonville, GLAAD and Equality Florida are calling on the media and law enforcement to report accurately and respectfully on these trans lives cut short by violence."

This needs to stop.