Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

Wednesday, a 24-year-old transwoman of color from Nashville was found murdered in Bordeaux, TN – a suburb of Nashville. Her name was Gizzy Fowler.

Police are still investigating the motive in the shooting death. Fowler was found laying next to an open-door car in a driveway at a house of a homeowner that recently passed away from natural causes. Neighbors say they heard gunfire prior to the body being found. A suspect is still being sought in the killing. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 862-8600 or CrimeStoppers at 74-CRIME.

The media coverage misgenders Gizzy and uses her old name so please be forewarned.

November 20 is set aside to honor our trans sisters, brothers and neighbors who have lost their life to violence. The Trans Day of Remembrance list includes nearly 70 individuals whose lives were lost to hate and violence. It was just published this week. How very tragic and significant that another young person is added to that list just a day later much less in the perfect storm of misgendering, providing her own criminal history and publishing photos from her old life.

Earlier this year, a Memphis transwoman was found murdered at the hands of her intimate partner. Gizzy is the 10th transwoman of color to be murdered in the United States in 2014.

• June 3^rd :  the body of Kandy Hall was discovered in a field in northeast Baltimore in what local police believe to be a homicide.
• June 12^th: Zoraida Reyes’s body was discovered behind a Dairy Queen in Anaheim, California. Her death has been ruled suspicious by investigators because it is believed her body was moved to that location, but has not yet been ruled a homicide.
• June 19^th: the body of Yaz’min Shancez was found behind a Budget Truck Rental on Powell Street in Fort Myers, Florida.  According to local media reports, local police believe her death to be a homicide, and her body had been burned.
• June 26^th: Tiff Edwards was found shot to death in the middle of the road in Walnut Hills, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati.
• July 16^th: Mia Henderson was discovered in an alley in Baltimore, Maryland while police were serving a search warrant in the area.  According to police, she appears to have died from trauma to the body, indicating homicide.
• August 15^th: An unidentified gender non-conforming person was the victim of a homicide in Detroit, Michigan.  Detroit Police have arrested Eduardo Moss, who they believe was the victim’s partner, in connection to this homicide.  Local authorities also believe this homicide is connected to two other attacks against transgender women in Michigan in August.
• September 7^th: Alejandra Leos, a transgender woman of color, was shot outside her home following a domestic dispute that originated within the home.  Marshall Pegues, age 21, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with her death.
• October 2^nd: Aniya Parker was fatally shot in the head in Los Angeles, California in what the police categorized as a botched robbery.
• October 26: Ashley Sherman was found in an Indianapolis parking lot with massive head trauma.

Anyone with information has been asked to call Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME, or through an electronic tip by texting the word “CASH” along with the message to 274637 (CRIMES) or online at www.nashvillecrimestoppers.com.

Rest in peace, rest in power Gizzy. Your life mattered and your death will compel your allies to continue reminder people that you mattered.