Remembering Honee Walker: Black trans woman killed in hit-and-run

Honee Walker, a 37-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Rochester, N.Y., last Wednesday.

Walker has been misgendered and deadnamed in local media reports.

The accident occurred just before midnight. Walker was a pedestrian, and the driver who hit her left the scene, TV station WHAM reports. She was pronounced dead soon afterward.

The driver and vehicle have since been identified, but no arrests have been made, and the accident remains under investigation.

After the incident, Walker’s family gave her name to media outlets, but some have not corrected their reporting. The latest WHAM story, however, states her correct name and refers to her as a "pedestrian" and "victim," with no gender mentioned.

“The victim identified both publicly and privately as a transgender woman,” says a press release from Blaque/Out Magazine.

“Although several stations have posted updates to the story, the accepted media practice would be to correct the original misreported piece in print if possible and digitally everywhere it originally appeared,” the release continues. “This isn’t just new information, it is considered disrespectful and a documented form of transphobia, transmisia, prejudice and oppression visited upon the LGBTQIA+ but specifically the Trans community. Despite the fact that your original reporting information was likely provided by [the Rochester Police Department], organizations nationwide track the disproportionate rate of deaths of Trans community members, specifically Black Trans women and those numbers are deeply skewed when the media misreports the accurate identity of the individual. These errors whether purposeful or in ignorance can even lead to delayed justice for families and victims.”

A celebration of life for Walker will be held October 18 at the Wegman Building in Rochester’s Seneca Park. There will be visitation hours from 1 to 6 p.m. and a memorial service at 6 p.m.

Walker is at least the 28^th trans person to die by violence in the U.S. this year. Most of them have been Black women. There are likely many others in any given year who are not counted because of deadnaming or misgendering, or if their deaths are not reported at all.

The Advocate has contacted the Rochester Police Department and local activists for further information and will update this story if we receive responses.