This post remains published for posterity.
The In Memoriam Page is the complete listing.
NCAVP mourns the death of Tonya Harvey, 35-year old black transgender woman, in Buffalo, NY. According to reports, Harvey was fatally shot on February 6, 2018. Buffalo police and media outlets initially misgendered Harvey but advocacy organizations like Glaad reached out to ensure accurate reporting and to reflect her gender identity. Investigators are still looking for a suspect(s) at this time.
Friends, family, and community members held a rally on the steps of City Hall in downtown Buffalo to demand justice for Harvey and bring awareness to the violence against transgender people.
It’s vital that media and police accurately gender and name people when reporting on LGBTQ homicides to honor their lives and to accurately provide information to the community. Misgendering and/or deadnaming can attribute to the misreporting, or lack of reporting, of deaths of transgender people and hate violence related incidents.
We send our love and care to her family and loved ones.
In memory of Tonya Harvey.
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.