Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The Crime

Shandon Floyd, a 20-year-old Black trans woman from Florence, South Carolina, was found dead in a car in nearby Columbia, South Carolina on Nov. 15 almost a week after she was reported missing. Is it estimated that she died on November 8.

As of now, we know Shandon was visiting family and friends in Columbia. She borrowed a car and then disappeared. Her body was found about 10 miles from the hotel where she was staying. Initial reports did not suggest foul play. Officials ordered an autopsy.

This week, the Richland County Sheriff Department announced three persons of interest have been identified in connection with her death. No charges have been filed as of yet.

Note that family members expressed concern about the RCSD decision not to release a missing persons report.

“In regards to releasing missing persons to the public, we have certain criteria that has to be met first such as age, health concerns, possible foul play and history,” an RCSD spokesperson said in a statement. RCSD added that none of the criteria were met in this instance.

WIST TV

She was a 20 year old young Black trans woman who disappeared in the night quite literally less than two weeks before the Trans Day of Remembrance. If you are reading this post on this blog you know that there is clearly a context to take her disappearance seriously. This is the way anti-trans bias devastates our community. A 20 year old Black trans woman is reported missing and the police didn’t issue a release so people could be on the lookout for her. Would that press release cost the taxpayers additional money? Would it take hours to write and distribute? Would it in any way have harmed anyone?

Would they have made the same decision if the young woman were white?

Honoring Shandon

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, her family relocated to Mullins and then Florence. Shandon attended Mullins High School and graduated with the class of 2021.  Shandon then studied Nursing at Newberry College in Newberry, SC.

Her obituary misgenders her, but contains so much rich detail in this excerpt.

Shandon was an all around people’s person.  Shandon loved to do hair, travel, and just plain out have fun. To know Shandon was to love her. Shandon loved her family and close friends, and most of all her Mom. That was her #1 BFF. Shandon’s dreams and plans were to become a nurse and hairstylist some day.  Shandon will greatly be missed by those who loved her.

According to her social media profiles, Shandon liked fashion and followed many independent music artists. Her feeds are full of hair style images, fashion, and countless photos having fun with filters. It is clear she first embraced life and then imbued it with her unique zest and enthusiasm.

Our Grief

While still not categorized as a homicide, we choose to include Shandon’s suspicious death in our list so she is not overlooked or forgotten. Any suspicious death of a 20 year old Black trans woman should be noted, of course.

Thus, the list for 2023 includes 40 names. Shandon is the 40th person on our 2023 list, reaching the sad total for all of 2022. Shandon is the 31st trans woman on this list, the 17th Black trans woman, and the 22nd Black trans person on this list. Shandon is the second person from South Carolina. Her death matters. Her life mattered and when it became clear that she was missing, we should have gone looking for her. That’s the systemic failure we can address collectively.

What’s more, nearly 75% of the total victims were 30 or younger this year. Based on the available information, we are losing a trans person to violent deaths every 7.8 days in the United States this year. I’m sure that’s vastly under reported.

Rest in power, Shandon. Your brought color, beauty, and energy into the world. You should have been able to drive a car on an errand and return safely home. I am so very sorry we did not create a better world for you.

May your memory be a revolution.

This is our list

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.
10. Rasheeda Williams – Atlanta, Georgia, April 18, 2023. Age 35.
11. Banko Brown – San Francisco, California, April 27, 2023. Age 24.
12. Ashia Davis – Detroit, Michigan, June 2, 2023. Age 34
13. Chanell Perez Ortiz – Carolina, Puerto Rico, June 25, 2023. Age 29.
14. Jacob Williamson – Pageland, South Carolina, July 4, 2023, Age 18.
15. Camdyn Rider – Winter Haven, Florida, July 21, 2023. Age 21.
16. Kylie Monali – Riverside, California, September 7, 2022, Reported September 2023.
17. DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson – Los Angeles, California, August 7, 2023. Age 27.
18. Thomas ‘Tom-Tom’ Robinson – Calumet, Indiana, August 17, 2023. Age 28.
19. Charm Wilson – Cleveland, Ohio, September 8, 2023. Age 32.
20. Bre’Asia Bankz – Arizona, September 5, 2023. Age 27.
21. Alexa Sokova – Palm Bay, Florida, September 5, 2023. Age 30.
22. YOKO – New Orleans Louisiana, September 19, 2023. Age 30.
23. Codii Lawrence – Weirton, West Virginia, September 5, 2023. Age 25.
24. Unidentified Person – Dallas, Texas,. July 2023. Age unknown
25. Dolli Goins – Eugene, Oregon, August 10, 2023. Age 27.
26. Luis Ángel Díaz Castro – San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 12, 2023. Age 22.
27. Thaddeus ‘Tad’ Keegan Bradley – Mendocino, California, Sept 21st, 2021. Reported April 27, 2023.
28. Sherlyn Marjorie – Albuquerque, Nex Mexico, September 17, 2023. Age 35.
29. Chyna Long – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 8, 2023. Age 20.
30. Skylar Harrison – Washington, DC, October 2, 2023. Age 30.
31. A’Nee Johnson – Washington, DC, October 14, 2023. Age 30.
32. Dominic Palace Dupree – Chicago, Illinois, October 13, 2023. Age 25.
33. Lisa Love -Chicago, Illinois, October19, 2023. Age 35.
34. Lovely Page – Chicago, Illinois, August 16, 2023. Age 54.
35. London Price – Miami, Florida, October 23, 2023. Age 26.
36. LaKendra Andrews – Dallas, Texas, April 29, 2023. Age 26.
37. Kejuan Richardson – Toledo, Ohio, November 14, 2023. Age 21.
38. Amiri Jean Richardson – Toledo, Ohio, November 14, 2023. Age 21.
39. Jean Thomas Butchart – Belleville, Michigan, August 4, 2023. Age 26.
40. Shandon Floyd – Columbia, South Carolina, November 8, 2023. Age 20.