NCAVP mourns the death of Nino Fortson, aka Nino Starr, who was shot on Sunday, May 13, 2018 in Atlanta, GA. According to reports, there was an argument between Fortson and 4 others that then escalated to one of the others shooting them multiple times. Fortson was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital where they succumbed to injuries. The suspect(s) is still at large at press time.
Nino Fortson was gender non-conforming/genderqueer and many loved ones who shared their sadness via social media have used ‘he/his’ and ‘she/her’ pronouns. Fortson was a part of the Atlanta ballroom scene and regularly competed in the ‘butch realness’ category.
We send our love to Forton’s wife, friends, and loved ones.
We know it can be hard to read these reports of violence against our communities. If you need support in these difficult times, you can always reach out to your local NCAVP member. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can reach our free bilingual national hotline at 212-714-1141 or report online for support.
NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and HIV-affected communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.