Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Horrifying news out of Tampa – 25 years old India Clarke was found murdered near her parents’ home early this morning. From Transgriot:

25 year old India Clarke’s body was found after the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department received a phone call at 9 AM EDT this morning from an employee at the University Area Community Center located at 14013 N. 22nd Street.   The employee reported that a deceased body was lying next to the basketball courts.

Clarke was last seen alive by her parents at their home on Sunday.

Detectives are asking for anyone with any information to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200. Anyone who knew India or has information that will aid in the investigation is urged to please contact Crime Stoppers at http://www.crimestopperstb.com/.

A candlelight vigil has been scheduled for Friday at 8 pm in Tampa.

India suffered the addition, but not atypical, indignities of being misgendered in the media coverage of her death, the use of her old name and references to her history of contact with law enforcement. India’s family continues to refer to her using her old name and pronouns.

Please take a moment to honor the life of India and #SayHerName

The complex part is how we tabulate and record and document that lives and deaths of our sisters, sisters who are QTPOC and sisters who are trans. This is my best account

India is the 14th violent LGBTQ death in 2015, the eleventh trans woman and the ninth trans woman of color. Just to be transparent, I’m including violent deaths of QTPOC and the trans community in this list. This does not include individuals who have died by suicide. Some accounts focus on trans women of color, some lists don’t include everyone on my list. Other lists include other people. It is difficult to simplify these complicated intersectional identities to a list. Of course it is, but we have to keep doing it – to make sure people understand how awful this epidemic of violence is.

Papi Edwards, 20, Louisville, January 9

Lamia Beard, 30, Norfolk on January 17

Ty Underwood, 24, Tyler TX on January 26

Yazmin Vash Payne, 33, LA on January 31

Taja de Jesus, 36, San Fran February 1

Penny Proud, 21, New Orleans February 10

Bri Golec, 22, Akron on February 13

Kristina Grant Infiniti, 47, Miami on February 15

London Chanel, 21, Philadelphia on May 18

Mercedes Williamson, 17, Alabama on May 30

India Clarke, 25, Tampa on July 22

There is also the deaths of our lesbian and queer sisters of color.

• Candra Keels, 20, Rochester, January 18
• Ashley Belle, 22, Atlanta, January 26
• Jessie Hernandez, 17, Denver, January 26

Rest in power, India. So many people around this country are mourning the loss of your life. It is inexplicable.