The Researchers Investigating Missing, Murdered, Unclaimed, and Unidentified Trans and Queer Neighbors Around the World
“This work is important to ensure that we as a community be made aware of these cases and allow us to mourn our lost siblings collectively in whatever capacity that we can.”
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 next Q&A in our series takes us to Texas and a Trans Day of Remembrance organizer. Gordy’s reference to an illustration exhibit as part of the memorial this year caught my attention. It is rather beautiful how much care and creativity people invest in these projects.
Your Name: Gordy Carmona
Your Pronouns: they/them
Affiliation(s): Equality Texas’ Community Engagement & Advocacy Strategist
How do you describe your identity? prefer not to disclose
Please describe your specific involvement in finding and honoring murdered, missing, and unclaimed trans and queer people. I try to keep an eye out to articles and posts on social media about potential cases of trans and gender expansive individuals who may have lost due to violence.
What geographic region(s) do you cover? Why?
Primary, I look for cases within Texas to share with local communities and community partners so we can ensure the community is able to attend any vigils or services being held to honor these individuals. Additionally, I look out for cases across the United States to keep track for Trans Day of Remembrance vigils.
I would say that some LGBTQIA+ orgs could benefit from additional education when it comes to their communications surrounding trans and gender expansive issues.
Why is this work important? This work is important to ensure that we as a community be made aware of these cases and allow us to mourn our lost siblings collectively in whatever capacity that we can.
What are some of the challenges you face in your efforts?
Some of the challenges that I have encountered is the lack of a uniform way of reporting on these incidents:
- publications may not be up to date on the terminology and may inadvertently misgender individuals in their reporting;
- there have been instances where there is little to no information on an individual;
- the death of a trans or gender expansive person will appear as a single sentence in a larger story and then no updates are found; or
- publications may correctly gender the individual but use their name that appears on their identity documents (“dead name”) and list their chosen name in quotations like a nick name.
You referenced the Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) projects. When did you first attend a TDoR event? What impact did it have on you?
The first TDoR that I attend was the first one I organized with local community partners in 2022. Organizing that vigil took a toll on my mental health as it further opened my eyes to the epidemic we are currently experiencing in our community. That year’s vigil included over 50 names and happened a day after the Colorado Springs shooting at Club Q. We got notice that we had lost two trans siblings in the shooting a mere hour before the vigil began. I started to panic right before the vigil because at that moment I realized that it was the club that an old friend of mine was the general manger. I was later able to find out that she was ok and taking time to process everything.
You mentioned that the case of Live Oak Doe from 1986 inspires the TDoR plans of your organization this year. Please tell readers about this person and what connecting them to their name after all of these years means for you.
In 2021, while doing some research for my testimony on a bill during the 87th legislative session in Texas, I came across an article about Live Oak Doe finally being identified. Live Oak Doe was a black trans woman that was found murdered in South Houston in July 1986. She had finally been identified by the DNA Doe Project using forensic genetic genealogy. Learning about this case broke my heart when thinking of her loved ones wondering what may have happened to her all these years. I was born in 1986 – three months before her death – it felt terrifying to think that almost my whole life this poor woman had been unnamed. Hopefully with her finally being identified, those who loved her are now able mourn her loss.
The illustrations for this year’s remembrance will they center unidentified or unnamed individuals or include everyone on the list? Where will the illustrations live after TDoR?
The illustrations in this exhibit will be of the trans and gender expansive siblings we have lost in Texas between Nov 1st 2013 – Oct 31st 2023. Where the illustrations will live after the exhibition has not been determined at this moment, but I would like to grow the exhibition in the years to come and take it on the road to reach more Texans. Badge of Pride – a local org dedicated to collecting and activating artifacts from LGBTQ+ history – has expressed interest of having the exhibition included in their display.
Texas has a brutal death rate, perhaps the deadliest known state – at least 20 victims of violence since 2020. It’s easy to say “Oh yes Texas is awful” without truly understanding the reasons. What do you think is the landscape for trans folx in Texas?
Texas has the second largest population within the US with roughly 30 million residents; our population size could attribute to part of the reason we have seen a high number is cases recorded in Texas.
Please share your TDoR details.
In addition to this year’s Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil, Equality Texas is partnering with BTAC, Nu Trans Movement, HRC and other community partners for an exhibition honoring the memory of our trans and gender expansive siblings lost to violence in Texas over the past 10 years.
The exhibition is titled ‘Lost Voices: Trans Day of Remembrance Exhibition & Vigil’ and will include portraits of our siblings from Texas, installation piece honoring Live Oak Doe, and an agenda honoring this years’ TDoR list.
How do you balance the privacy of a grieving family with the needs of the trans and queer communities?
When collecting data for the TDoR list, I am only collecting the identifying information like race, gender, age, and location. There are several individuals who have been doing this work already and I personally would like to avoid further subjecting families to questions about their loved ones. In the case of Texans, I look out for vigils or celebrations of life being held by family or friends and uplift those efforts.
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?
I would say that some LGBTQIA+ orgs could benefit from additional education when it comes to their communications surrounding trans and gender expansive issues. On occasion we may see orgs release statements regarding a death of a local TGNC individual and they pull information directly from media or police reports and inadvertently further misgender or dead name individuals.
Live Oak Doe was a black trans woman that was found murdered in South Houston in July 1986. She had finally been identified by the DNA Doe Project using forensic genetic genealogy. Learning about this case broke my heart when thinking of her loved ones wondering what may have happened to her all these years. I was born in 1986 – three months before her death – it felt terrifying to think that almost my whole life this poor woman had been unnamed.
What do you say to the person who hesitates to share each post/flyer because it is ‘too sad.’
I can sympathize with them and would encourage them to interact with the posts with a reaction or comment to help boost them in algorithms if they are not comfortable in sharing the post.
Please list any organizations or groups doing this work that people should know about.
tdor.translivesmatter.info
www.hrc.org/resources/fatal-violence-against-the-transgender-and-gender-expansive-community-in-2024
What else should I have asked? No additional question to suggest.
Where can readers follow you on social media?
- Facebook: @gordycarmona
- Instagram: @gordycarmona
- Twitter: @gordycarmona
Equality Texas
- Facebook: @EqualityTexas
- Instagram: @EqualityTexas
- Twitter: @EqualityTexas
Finally, please list the social media accounts readers can follow to remain informed and share information.
- tdor.translivesmatter.info
- www.pghlesbian.com
- www.hrc.org
- www.Gladd.org
Thank you, Gordy.
Other posts in this series in chronological order
- : A Closer Look at the Search for Missing and Murdered Trans and Queer People
- Read #TheResearchers Q&A With Noah ‘The Stigma Fighter’
- Read #TheResearchers Q&A With Arielle Rebekah
- A Must Read Q&A with Mal Fox #TheResearchers
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