Mourning Death of Celine Walker, Advocates Implore Jacksonville Law Enforcement To Update Transgender Policies
Mourning Death of Celine Walker, Advocates Implore Jacksonville Law Enforcement To Update Transgender Policies
Friday, February 16, 2018 - Equality Florida, TransAction Florida and the ACLU of Florida join in grieving the death of Celine Walker, a 36 year old black transgender woman who was brutally murdered in Jacksonville, FL earlier this month.
We remain committed to ending the senseless violence that disproportionately claims the lives of transgender women of color in Florida and around the nation.
A recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center stated that transgender women of color, specifically black trans women, are disproportionately affected by violence and make up 72% of transgender homicide victims since 2010.
Even as we grieve, we must also organize and educate.
Unfortunately, the media and the criminal justice system continue to misgender and misname Celine Walker. This not only insults her memory, outdated procedures that ignore the transgender experience impede the ability to conduct prompt and accurate interviews and cause confusion with local media outlets.
“We urge law enforcement and the criminal justice system to start investigating transgender murders without negating the identity of the victim and in a manner that allows a clear determination of whether the crime was motivated by anti-transgender hatred,” said Gina Duncan, Director of Transgender Equality at Equality Florida. “The relentless violence against transgender women of color is a national tragedy and we must work together as a community to stop it.”
It is time to update state hate-crimes laws and local law-enforcement policies to ensure that transgender and gender non-conforming individuals are offered explicit protection. Otherwise, our trans and gender non-conforming community will be further silenced, marginalized, unrecognized and under protected.
Together, Equality Florida, TransAction Florida, and the ACLU of Florida support the transgender women of color who are speaking out against the violence and stigma they experience every day. We must follow the lead of the amazing trans women of color in Jacksonville and across the state who are demanding accountability from a transphobic society bent on eradicating trans women. We must join our trans sisters in the fight for their right to exist free of violence in our country.
Join us in solidarity at Solidarity Vigils in Jacksonville and across the state calling for Justice for Celine Walker. We must follow the lead of the amazing trans women of color in Jacksonville and across the state who are demanding accountability from a transphobic society bent on eradicating trans women.
In Jacksonville:
When: February 18th, 2018 starting at 2:00 pm
Where: Memorial Park, 1620 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL
Host: Coalition for Consent
Bring: candles and flowers and signs
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/341327603018380/
In Tallahassee:
When: February 18th, 2018 starting at 4:30
Where: Florida Historic Capitol Steps, 400 S. Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL
Host: TransAction Florida
Bring: candles and flowers and signs
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/153127935387917/
If you can help organize a vigil in your area for Sunday, February 18th please email [email protected].