Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

A 37-years-old Black trans woman, Ashley Burton, was killed in Atlanta during a domestic dispute on Tuesday, April 11.

Ashley was born in Augusta, South Carolina and relocated to Atlanta to pursue her career as a hairstylist and makeup artist. She’s described as an important force in the industry. She appreciated fashion trends and created stunning art with her hair and nails. Her feeds are filled with examples of her artistry.

Ashley was also an accomplished cook and a singer/pianist. She celebrated her 37th birthday in late March.

Atlanta Police responded to a 911 call at 4:22 a.m. On scene, police said they found Burton’s body in the breezeway of her building at City Park Apartments off Fairburn Road SW, according to FOX Atlanta.

Ashley’s cousin describes her as a courageous fighter who fled her assailant and desperately sought help from her neighbors before she died.

Police describe her death as a domestic incident, suggesting she was shot by an intimate partner. You can contact the Atlanta Police 404-614-6544 or Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS(8477) or e-mail the anonymous information using the online form at www.crimestoppersatlanta.org. 

“She was a very sweet young lady. She was very full of life really. It was always smiles and laughs with us whenever we work together,” her best friend told FOX 5.

As with many similar cases, Ashley has been misgendered and deadnamed by the media and law enforcement. This creates additional burdens for those who mourn her to have to keep the record accurate. It also delays community notification. There are numerous media guides for reporting on trans and queer stories – no excuse.

There is no information available now on final arrangements.

Ashley Burton is the ninth trans or gender nonconforming person whose violent death has been reported in 2023. She is the fifth Black trans woman, the eighth trans woman, the seventh trans woman of color, the eighth trans person of color, and at age 37, the oldest of the 2023 victims to date. As of today, a trans person has been killed in the US every 11 days. Reported is an important distinction as we know there are more who go unacknowledged.

Ashley is the third trans person murdered in Georgia since December 2022. Black trans woman Destin Howard, 23, was killed in Macon in December 2022, nonbinary Indigenous person Tortuguita was shot to death in January 2023 outside of Atlanta, and now Ashley in Atlanta.

Rest in power, Ashley. Your life force was strong and vibrant, you created so much beauty in this world. I am so sorry we didn’t protect you from violence and guns and fear. You deserved so many years of light and love.

May your memory be a revolution.

This is our list of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming neighbors who have been victims of the campaign of terror in 2023. Please do not copy, modify, or share this list without attribution.  

1. Jasmine ‘Star’ Mack – District of Columbia, January 7, 2023. Age 36.
2. KC Johnson – Wilmington, North Carolina, January 13, 2023. Age 27.
3. Tortuguita – Weelaunee Forest, Georgia, January 18, 2023. Age 26.
4. Unique Banks – Chicago, Illinois, January 23, 2023. Age 21.
5. Zachee Imanitwitaho – Louisville, Kentucky, February 3, 2023. Age 26.
6. Maria Jose Rivera Rivera – Houston, Texas, January 21, 2023. Age 22.
7. Cashay Henderson – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, February 27, 2023. Age 31.
8. Tasiyah ‘Siyah’ Woodland – Mechanicsville, Maryland, March 24, 2023. Age 18
9. Ashley Burton – Atlanta, Georgia, April 11, 2023. Age 37.