Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Aniya Parker courtesy of Parker family

I’ve been holding off on this post because the name of the woman was not immediately released. But last night I read that police were having trouble finding family to notify which is just so very sad so I am going to go ahead and post and ask you – her surviving community – to mourn her. At the vigil, police provided her name – Aniya “Asia” Parker in an attempt to find people who knew her.

Around 2:30 AM Thursday morning, a trans woman of color was confronted by three men in what police describe as a botched robbery that left her dying in the street with a gun shot to her head. Video surveillance from a nearby auto body shop has provided some clued to the identities of her murderers.

The media is reporting that she was a trans woman of color in her mid-40’s and unknown to anyone as of yet. Friday night, the LGBT Center of Los Angeles held a memorial service to honor her life and mourn her death.

The comforting details from this story include a passerby who stopped to help her as she dying so she wasn’t alone and the fact that the media coverage itself has been rather restrained. They don’t have her name so they can’t track down her “old name” or publish a mug shot. Some reports have described her a transgender person which is not quite accurate, but not outright insulting. I hope that with the disclosure of her name, the reports will continue to be accurate rather than sensational.

Police do not believe her identity was a factor, describing this as a robbery gone wrong. That’s not something that can be determined until they gather more information.

Those with information on the shooting are encouraged to contact the LAPD’s Rampart Station

Aniya is the 2nd transwoman to be murdered in LA this year – Zoraida Reyes a trans immigration activist was murdered in June.  If anyone has a photo of Aniya (Asia – I’m unsure which was her preferred name) please let me know at pghlesbian at gmail.

Rest in peace, rise in power, Aniya Asia Parker. Your life and death matter to us.