Tracy Single Is the 16th Trans Person Murdered in 2019

Tracy Single has become the latest Black trans woman to be reported murdered, according to the blog TransGriot. Though Single was originally found on July 30, she was only recently identified as trans. The news makes her the 16th trans person to be killed in 2019.

Initial reports identified Single as a woman who died in a homicide at a gas station along the Katy Freeway in Houston. After a week, Single was identified as trans and police confirmed her murder. Local activists and reporters worked to identify the 22-year old.

In commemoration of Single's life, the city lit six bridges with the colors of the trans pride flag on Wednesday. City Hall was similarity lit, and the commemoration will continue through tonight.

Single is the third trans person to be killed this year in Texas alone, following Chynal Lindsay and Muhlaysia Booker in Dallas. She adds to a growing list of trans people -- the vast majority of whom are Black trans women -- who have been murdered. This week, reports initially said that Keyiariah Quick was the 15th Black trans woman to be murdered in 2019. But as Out reported Wednesday, friends of the victim say Quick's death was not a homicide.

Jordan Cofer, a white trans 22-year-old man, was the 15th trans person to be murdered overall this year during the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, although he was initially misgendered in early reports of the tragedy. The shooter was reportedly Cofer's brother.

Of these deaths, the vast majority were the result of gun violence.

This news is not happening in isolation. During Stonewall's 50th anniversary, there was a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ violence, according to the New York City Anti-Violence Project. At least 14 LGBTQ+ were killed between May 14 and July 15, seven of whom were Black trans women. The statistic is three times the rate of the almost five months prior.

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