Cory Booker said he will “fight to protect” black transgender women, and this is so important
Last night, June 26th, 10 Democratic presidential candidates kicked off the 2020 race for the party’s nomination. The gathered politicians answered questions on topics ranging from reproductive rights to immigration reform. And Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey took a stand for LGBTQ Americans, including black transgender women.
According to a transcript of the debate from NBC News, Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard broached the subject of LGBTQ rights by discussing the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. But Booker argued that supporting this bill wasn’t enough. The New Jersey senator pointed out that LGBTQ people—especially black transgender people—are too often the victims of violence.
"We do not talk enough about trans Americans, especially African-American trans Americans...and the incredibly high rates of murder right now," he said. "We don't talk enough about how many children, about 30% of LGBTQ kids, who do not go to school because of fear. It's not enough just to be on the Equality Act. I'm an original co-sponsor. We need to have a president that will fight to protect LGBTQ Americans every single day from violence in America."
Tulsi Gabbard tries to defend her turnaround on LGBTQ rights, even though she still tosses colleagues under the bus for calling out religious discrimination: https://t.co/arDv6vlzrD@CoryBooker jumps in to call out violence against trans women of color! #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/1XK8yFNOjd
— Zack Ford (@ZackFord) June 27, 2019
Several viewers applauded Booker for shining light on this important issue.
I cannot believe I just heard a presidential candidate in a network debate talk about the crisis of violence against trans people of color. It’s a small, but powerful step forward just to hear that acknowledgment. Thank you Cory Booker. #DemDebate
— Jen Richards (@SmartAssJen) June 27, 2019
I talked with Cory Booker about trans rights this past weekend. He's for real. He knows the issues. And it shows. #DemDebate
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️⚧️🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) June 27, 2019
Trans women of color are getting murdered in this country, and it's great that Cory Booker brought that up on the debate stage. #DemDebate https://t.co/HSxsW5cgIp
— Ari Drennen (@AriDrennen) June 27, 2019
“Black trans people continue being killed and this issue isnt addressed.” – @CoryBooker during the #DemDebate
Me: pic.twitter.com/V94eK7LsfY
— Amir Ashour أمير عاشور (@amirashour_) June 27, 2019
According to the Human Rights Campaign, in 2018, at least 26 trans people died as a result of violence, and as of June 25th, 11 have died of violence in 2019. All 11 of these people were black transgender women. Trans people also face an incredibly high risk of being physically assaulted. In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 9% of respondents reported being attacked in the past year. In addition, trans people of color faced violent attacks at a higher rate than white trans people, with Native American trans people reporting the highest instance of violence against them.
Booker has tweeted about violence against trans people before. On May 22nd, he tweeted the names of five trans women who had been killed in 2019—Dana Martin, Ashanti Carmon, Claire Legato, Muhlaysia Booker, and Michelle Washington. In the same tweet, he added that “we have to do all we can to protect” trans women of color.
Muhlaysia Booker. Michelle Washington. Dana Martin. Ashanti Carmon. Claire Legato. And those are just the names we know. Trans women of color are more likely to be killed than other groups of transgender women. This is a fact. And we have to do all we can to protect their lives. https://t.co/PSmbors3uI
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 22, 2019
Booker is absolutely right that we need to protect black trans women, and we’re glad to see him bringing up this topic during the debates. The violence against the trans community is something that we can’t afford to overlook, and whoever becomes president needs to acknowledge it.
