Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

She was 23-years-old, born and raised in Cincinnati. On March 3, she became the latest Black trans woman murdered in the U.S.

Her name was Diamond Kyree Sanders. She also was known as Diamond Nicole.

Cincinnati police responded to a report of a person shot on Morrison Avenue around 3:42 a.m., according to a Wednesday afternoon news release. They discovered the wounded 23-year-old Kyree Sanders in a parking lot. Firefighters took Sanders to a hospital, where she died.

Police at first said it might have been a bias crime, then claimed it was ‘greed’ because her purse was stolen. I still don’t understand why the police are so quick to jump to conclusions about motive when they haven’t even caught the murderer. They don’t know the shooter was the one who stole her purse. Or that it was the motive rather than a hasty decision, perhaps to delay identifying the victim? I’m not clear on why it took so long for her death to be acknowledged by the media.

Diamond studied at The Ohio State University and had recently been working at Nordstrom.  She had thousands of friends on Facebook and her timeline was filled many cute, fashionable photos. The obituary written by her family speaks volumes to her dynamic personality and how much she was loved. Her 24th birthday would have been on April 10. Diamond’s family wrote this in her obituary

Diamond was a ball of energy as a child and even up to her time of death. She valued her family and enjoyed spending time with them. As a child, she would say “I love my WHOLE family!” At the last family Thanksgiving dinner, Diamond let her family know she was thankful that they accepted her for who she was as a transgender. In her younger years, Diamond spent many weekends with her Aunt Terron and Grandmother Dianne, baking cookies and making one of her favorite meals, “pigs in a blanket”. They also took Diamond and her siblings on trips to the Bahamas, Florida (Walt Disney World), Detroit and Gatlinburg to show her the world is much bigger than just Cincinnati. As an adult, Diamond was a traveler, known to be in New York City one week and New Orleans the following week. Diamond was really into fashion. She always coordinated her attire from head to toe, including matching hair and nails. She was known to say, “I have to be cute, honey!” A few weeks before her death she was in her grandmother’s closet putting on her fur coat, clothes and jewelry. Diamond’s unique style, charm and personality will be greatly missed.

Diamond is the eleventh trans, nonbinary or gender nonconforming person reported killed in 2021. Ten of these eleven neighbors have been BIPOC. Diamond is one of six victims under the age of 25. In total, there have been ELEVEN murders or suspicious deaths in the first 62 days of 2021, an average of one death every 5.6 days. So far. That we know of.

Visitation is set for Saturday, March 12, 2021 at the House of Hope in Cincinnati. Anyone with information in the case is asked to call The Cincinnati Police Department Homicide Unit at 531-352-3542.

Rest in power, Diamond. You deserved a long life filled with endless opportunities to be cute and embrace the world. Your name will not be forgotten and your legacy will inspire so many others. #SayHerName

May your memory be a revolution.

This is our list of transgender, gender-nonconforming, and non-binary neighbors lost to violence in 2021. Please do not copy or share this list without attribution.

1. Tyianna Davarea Alexandra – Chicago, Illinois. January 6, 2021. Age 28.
2. Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín – Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. January 9, 2021. Age 21.
3. Dominique Jackson – Jackson, Mississippi. January 25, 2021. Age 30.
4. Bianca ‘Muffin’ Bankz – Atlanta, Georgia. January 21, 2021. Age 31.
5. Fifty Bandzzz – Baton Rouge, Louisiana. January 28, 2021. Age 21.
6. Alexus “Kimmy” Braxton – Miami, Florida. February 4, 2021. Age 45.
7. Chynaa Carrillo – New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. February 18, 2021. Age 24.
8. Jeffrey ‘JJ’ Bright – Ambridge, Pennsylvania. February 22, 2021. Age 16.
9. Jasmine Cannady – Ambridge, Pennsylvania. February 22, 2021. Age 22.
10. Jenna Franks – Jacksonville, North Carolina, February 24, 2021. Age 34. **
11. Diamond Nicole ‘Kyree’ Sanders – Cincinnati, Ohio. March 3, 2021. Age 23.

** Jenna’s death was originally reported as suspicious, but has since been reported as a homicide.

We are also still monitoring these supicious deaths from 20/21 (in addition to the 44 documented killings.)

• Fendi Mon’ezah Armstrong – Lithonia, Georgia, November 11, 2020. Age 39
• Kimberely Patricia Cope – Athens, Georgia, December 27, 2020. Age 40.
• Natasha Keianna – Detroit, Michigan, January 12, 2021. Age 37.
• Bonaire ‘Bonnie’ Black – Atlanta, Georgia, December 31, 2020. Age 19.