Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The Researchers Investigating Missing, Murdered, Unclaimed, and Unidentified Trans and Queer Neighbors Around the World

There is a long history of trans folks being erased after we die. This is especially true for Black, Indigenous, POC, and poor and low-income trans people. We all deserve to be honored for who we were in life, not just remembered by how we died or (arguably worse) for who someone else wished we were in life. 

Recently, we launched a mini-series exploring the work of tracking and reporting anti-trans violence. You can read the initial post The Researchers: A Closer Look at the Search for Missing and Murdered Trans and Queer People

I created a Q&A for multiple people involved in this work. I’ve learned so much from them. Also, I realize how most people don’t actually realize what does into this work, in terms of time, resources, emotional labor, and determination.

You can read about the tools at the link above. Here, we want you to read what the researchers themselves have to say.

I work with most of these folx through the Facebook Trans Violence Group. I am grateful for their time and energy to help my readers better understand this complex and difficult work. That being said, please note that I do not necessarily agree with everything they say.

This second Q&A in our series is from Arielle Rebekah who works with the Transgender Law Center to track the lives and deaths of transgender people.

Your Name: Arielle Rebekah

Your Pronouns: they/them

Affilation(s): Communications Consultant (for this work specifically, I’m contracted with Transgender Law Center)

How do you describe your identity?: white, nonbinary trans woman, queer, leftist, anti-Zionist Ashkenazi Jew

We deserve to be remembered, and by sharing consistently you help amplify the need for solutions to anti-trans violence. 

Please describe your specific involvement in finding and honoring murdered, missing, and unclaimed trans and queer people: I work alongside the communications and policy teams at Transgender Law Center to respond to the deaths of trans folks in the US who die by violent means. My typical role in this work is tracking. I’ve built a spreadsheet dated back to 2015 that includes trans folks who’ve died by violent means, as well as suicides, missing folks, unknown/suspicious COD, non-fatal transphobic violence, and more. For folks who die by violence, I also document quite a lot of demographic info including race, gender, housing + employment status (when known), cases status, and more. 

What geographic region(s) do you cover? Why?: Typically the US, but occasionally if TLC has a strong relationship with an international partner we’ll discuss international cases. TLC is a US-based org so that’s why most of my tracking work is for US-based folks. 

Why is this work important?: There is a long history of trans folks being erased after we die. This is especially true for Black, Indigenous, POC, and poor and low-income trans people. We all deserve to be honored for who we were in life, not just remembered by how we died or (arguably worse) for who someone else wished we were in life. 

The work of tracking and responding to anti-trans violence is one way that queer and trans community members carry forward the legacy of AIDS activists in the 80s and 90s. These activists refused to let their loved ones be forgotten or their identities erased, even in the face of government-sanctioned efforts to sweep the epidemic under the rug. 

Additionally, history shows that the state/legal and government institutions will never provide solutions to anti-trans violence. At best they ignore or do nothing meaningful in response, at worst they—typically police—either personally perpetrate or actively amplify this violence. Tracking and responding to anti-trans violence is one way we as activists can highlight the need for community-based solutions to this violence, rather than relying on state intervention. We keep us safe.

What are some of the challenges you face in your efforts?: Mainstream media relying on inaccurate police reports when documenting someone’s gender, thus making it more difficult to find, track, and document community loss. Years ago, part of my work involved contacting reports to request corrections. This was nearly always wasted energy; those who wanted to gender folks correctly usually already were, and those misgendering folks most often used the excuse that it was newsroom policy to rely on the gender listed on police reports. 

Also, there simply are not enough folks dedicating time and resources to this work! To my knowledge, the folks active in the Facebook group we’re both a part of constitutes the majority of folks really active in doing this work. With the exception of the few of us contracted by large organizations, most folks are not paid for their time. 

Tell us about the aspects of this work that the typical person may not understand or see: The literal hours I sometimes spend combing through people’s lives postmortum to try to find enough information about them. I’ve watched more Youtube eulogies than I can count. I’ve dug back multiple years into some folks’ social media to confirm what identity labels they used. Even the small details folks see in media about trans folks’ lives are usually found by a small group of us who spend hours and sometimes days digging for any shred of information available. Y’all should see my Google Alerts – I have alerts set up for folks who died years ago who we never found enough information to honor. 

How do you balance the privacy of a grieving family with the needs of the trans and queer communities?: I don’t personally reach out to families. However, trans folks deserve to be honored, period.

The 2 cases in which I may not post are if it becomes clear the deceased person was not out and would not have wanted to be outed postmortem, or if their trusted community members request we not post. 

We speak often about the need to educate the media, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system about anti-trans violence. What institutions would you add to that list and why?: social workers, local organizers, or anyone doing work on the ground in communities. If you might interact with trans folks at risk of or experiencing violence, you should understand how to do so sensitively and with a mind for appropriate solutions. 

The work of tracking and responding to anti-trans violence is one way that queer and trans community members carry forward the legacy of AIDS activists in the 80s and 90s. These activists refused to let their loved ones be forgotten or their identities erased, even in the face of government-sanctioned efforts to sweep the epidemic under the rug. 

What do you say to the person who hesitates to share each post/flyer because it is ‘too sad.’: We deserve to be remembered, and by sharing consistently you help amplify the need for solutions to anti-trans violence. 

Please list any organizations or groups doing this work that people should know about. (Please write out the name and provide a link.)

Transgender Law Center

Shawn Devault, who’s in the FB group, does this work in an area of PA where there are not many resources dedicated to it (ask them before linking or sharing!)

What else should I have asked? Nothing I can think of that I haven’t already addressed!

Where can readers follow you on social media? (Optional)

IG/Threads: @ariellergordon

Finally, please list the social media accounts readers can  follow to remain informed and share information. (Please list the actual social handles/URLs to ensure we list the right one.) 

Twitter: @translawcenter

Instagram: @translawcenter, @the_yvesdropper

Is there anything else you’d like to add?  Nope! Thanks for doing this, Sue

Thank you!

Other posts in this series in chronological order

• We Will Look For You: A Closer Look at the Search for Missing and Murdered Trans and Queer People
• A #WeWillLookForYou Q&A With Noah ‘The Stigma Fighter’