In a critical report by Transgender Europe, the alarming statistic of 320 killings of trans and gender-diverse individuals in the past year has been brought to light.
This report, coinciding with the start of “Trans Awareness Week,” underscores the ongoing struggle for acceptance and the dire need for action against discrimination and violence.
Transgender Europe’s latest report, “Trans Murder Monitoring 2023,” released during “Trans Awareness Week,” reveals that at least 320 trans and gender-diverse individuals were tragically killed worldwide between October 2022 and September 2023.
This figure remains alarmingly high, similar to the previous year’s count of 327.
A staggering 94% of the victims were trans women, predominantly Black and involved in sex work. The report highlights the intersectional nature of the violence, with racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and hostility towards sex workers intertwining to disproportionately affect Black trans women and sex workers.
Europe saw a notable percentage of the murdered trans individuals being refugees and migrants.
The most victimised age group was 19 to 25 years old.
Latin America and the Caribbean reported 73% of these murders, with Brazil accounting for nearly a third. This high reporting is partly attributed to the vigilant monitoring and documentation by numerous trans and LGBTI organisations in these regions.
For the first time, murders in Armenia, Belgium, and Slovakia were reported.
Transgender Europe’s report stresses that these numbers likely represent just the tip of the iceberg, with many cases going unreported and unnoticed.