Violence against trans women is showing ‘alarming’ spike, says Human Rights Campaign
Phylicia Mitchell was murdered in February this year. (Phylicia Mitchell/Facebook)
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has posted a blog article, highlighting an “alarming” spike in violence against trans people in Cleveland, USA.
The civil rights advocacy group issued the warning after a trans woman was stabbed and wounded in her flat in Cleveland on July 7.
The victim has not been named, but Cleveland.com reported that a man called Ulious Brooks, 36, had been charged with felonious assault.
The attack is the fourth reported case of violence against trans women, including two murder cases, in the Cleveland area in the past six months.
“This most recent attack occurred against an alarming backdrop of violence against transgender people in the city,” the HRC’s blog post reads.
It adds: “HRC stands with the Cleveland transgender community during this difficult time and urges a thorough investigation of these attacks. Elected leaders and policymakers must act to end this epidemic of violence.”
In June, Keisha Wells, 58, became the 14th known trans murder victim in the US in 2018, when she was fatally shot in the car park of an apartment building.
Wells’ aunt, Regina Spicer, said she was known as “Pokey” to family and friends.
Two trans women have been murdered in the Cleveland area in the past six months. (Getty)
“Pokey liked laughing and telling funny stories about people. But when (she) loved you and cared about you, (she) loved you,” she told Cleveland.com.
Sheila Jones, a friend of Wells, told the local news site: “She was the nicest person ever. But she was a tough cookie. She wouldn’t back down from anyone.”
In May, a trans woman reported being sexually assaulted at a homeless shelter by a convicted rapist.
The woman said she was “verbally attacked” for being transgender at the local women’s shelter, so she decided to seek refuge at the largest shelter in the city.
However, she says she woke up to find convicted felon Paris McCrary touching her groin with his pants around his ankles, reports Cleveland.com.
Phylicia and her partner of 30 years Shane (Phylicia Mitchell/Facebook)
In February, Phylicia Mitchell was shot dead outside of her home in Cleveland.
The 45-year-old was found with bullet wounds in her chest in her living room on February 23.
She was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Mitchell’s partner of 30 years, Shane Mitchell, told Cleveland.com: “Everyone loved her. I miss her tremendously. That’s my soulmate.
“We went everywhere together. We did everything together.”
Since 2013, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has reported on 118 murders of transgender and non-binary people. Of these, 67 were the victims of gun violence.
Last year, the HRC Foundation and the Trans People of Color Coalition released a report documenting violence against trans gender people. It found that 2017 was the deadliest year on record for transgender people, particularly for trans women of colour.
