February 19 – New Mexico
Zakaria Fry, 28, was later found 40 miles outside of Albuquerque. Albuquerque Police arrested and charged Charles Spiess with two open counts of murder. Fry's loved ones shared condolences on Facebook with one friend saying: "You were my older sister. You took care of me and loved me like family. I’ll forever love you. I’m sorry.”
January 18 – Washington D.C.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced a proposed rule to allow health care providers to discriminate against patients, and within the department’s Office for Civil Rights, a new division – the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division — to address related claims.
June 19 – National
“Circulating Queerness” Challenging the narrative that the gay and lesbian novel came into view in response to the emergence of homosexuality as a concept, Natasha Hurley posits a much longer history of this novelistic genre. She revises our understanding of the history of sexuality, as well as of the processes of producing new concepts and the evolution of new categories of language.
Keanna Mattel
Amia Tyrae
Shantee Tucker
Sasha Garden
Zakaria Fry
May 25 – National
Antash'a English, 38, was fatally injured in drive-by shooting in Jacksonville, Florida on June 1. On her Facebook page, English described herself as an “independent” transgender woman who “thrives on being the best person” she can be. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has declared an active murder investigation and asks anyone with information to contact their office.
March 28 – Louisiana
Amia Tyrae, a black transgender woman, was found dead in a motel room in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Tyrae's body was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Nevaa White, a friend of Tyrae's, told Mic that Tyrae had lived her life as an openly trans woman since 2009. White also said Tyrae was bullied and "didn't have an easy life.
March 23 – Texas
Jared Jacobs was killed after a after a man drove a car into a gay bar with high speed. Another man was taken to an area hospital with injuries to his right leg and torso. Cordale Robinson, a 25-year-old man, was taken into custody after officers arrived on the scene. Robinson has been charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon over the attack.
Karla Patricia Flores-Pavon
February 14 – National
“Stonewall Revival” Stonewall is probably the most famous gay bar in the world. As the site of the 1969 riots, it is widely regarded as the birthplace of the gay rights movement. Yet from 1970-1990, the space was inhabited by any number of other non-bar businesses.
In 1990, Jimmy Pisano decided to open his first bar at 53 Christopher Street, where Stonewall previously stood. The business was a rousing failure, except in one respect. Though it lost money every year he owned it, Jimmy refused to let it close. He refused to let it revert to being another Chinese restaurant or bagel shop or any of the other irrelevant squatters. Jimmy died in 1994, just three months before the 25th Anniversary of the original Stonewall Riots and long before the space would receive multiple landmark designations and become a U.S. National Monument. If not for Jimmy Pisano's efforts, the annual Gay Pride Parade could easily be marching past a Starbucks every June instead of a living icon to gay rights. Pisano is the forgotten footnote in the history of Stonewall.Stonewall Revival is inspired by those early years of Stonewall's resurrection. The story is told from the perspective of Pisano's lover, Tom, who had never previously strayed from the straight and narrow. Like any good revival, the story mixes hyper-theatrical characters with real and imagined encounters with Broadway notables.
May 13 - Georgia
Karla Patricia Flores-Pavón, 26, was found choked to death in her apartment in Dallas, Texas, on May 9. Dallas Police arrested 24-year-old Jimmy Eugene 2018
September 8 - Florida
Londonn Moore, 20, was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds in North Port.
Londonn Moore
April 7 – National
“Transforming the Bible & the Lives of Transgender Christians” Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians provides access into an underrepresented and misunderstood community and will change the way readers think about transgender people, faith, and the future of Christianity. By introducing transgender issues and language and providing stories of both biblical characters and real-life narratives from transgender Christians living today, Hartke helps readers visualize a more inclusive Christianity, equipping them with the confidence and tools to change both the church and the world.
Tonya Harvey
Tydi Dansbury
LGBTQ Political Action, Events, and News for 2018
March 4 – California
Daniela Vega, the star of Oscar-winning foreign film "A Fantastic Woman," becomes the first openly transgender presenter in Academy Awards history when she introduces a performance by Sufjan Stevens, whose song "Mystery of Love" from the "Call Me By Your Name" soundtrack, is nominated for best original song.
Dejanay Stanton
January 1 – National
Billy Eichner actor, writer, and comedian forms “Glam Up the Midterms” to motivate millennials to action, of whom only 12% voted in the previous midterm election. He has the active support of late night hosts including Sarah Silverman, James Corden, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, Chelsea Handler, Robin Thede, and Andy Cohen.
Hope Verbeeck
Matthew Wilkas
January 18 – National
"Helping Your Transgender Teen" Addressing common fears and concerns that parents of transgender teens share, the book guides them through steps they can take with their child, including advice on hormones and surgery and how to transition socially. It addresses the recent increase in teens presenting with non-binary identities, and reflects major legal, social and medical developments regarding transgender issues. The author's insights are gained from his professional experience of providing psychotherapy regarding gender identity. He provides resources and further reading to help parents expand their knowledge.
Roxana Hernandez
May 22 – National
"Blame It on Bianca Del Rio" In Blame It On Bianca Del Rio, Bianca shares her opinions loudly and proudly, offering raucous, hilarious, no-holds-barred commentary on the everyday annoyances, big and small, that color her world, and make it a living, albeit amusing, hell for anyone who inhabits it. A collection of biting advice filled with vibrant photos from Bianca’s twisted universe, Blame It On Bianca Del Rio will shock you and keep you laughing. But be warned: it is not for the faint of heart!
March 24 – Washington D.C.
The White House releases a memo stating that individuals with a history of gender dysphoria will be disqualified from military service except under certain limited circumstances.
March 6 – Florida
Hope Verbeeck died by suicide.
June 19 – National
“Trans Like Me” In Trans Like Me, CN Lester takes readers on a measured, thoughtful, intelligent yet approachable tour through the most important and high-profile narratives around the trans community, turning them inside out and examining where we really are in terms of progress. From the impact of the media's wording in covering trans people and issues, to the way parenting gender variant children is portrayed, Lester brings their charged personal narrative to every topic and expertly lays out the work left to be done.
Ta'Rio Carson
March 20 – National
Joe Kort publishes “LGBTQ Clients in Therapy: Clinical Issues and Treatment Strategies”
Catalogued archive material by subject:
January 10 - California
Viccky Gutierrez, 33, a transgender woman from Honduras was stabbed and had her body set ablaze inside her Los Angeles home on January 10. Friends described her as “a young trans Latina immigrant woman whose warm smile would give anyone comfort.”
December 7 – Michigan
Keanna Mattel, 35, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Detroit.
Gigi Pierce
May 25 – National
“Documents of the LGBT Movement” Beginning from the First People, through the influx of European settlers and the slave trade from Africa, to the modern era, this book presents and discusses documents that reflect pivotal moments in the LGBT rights movement in North America.
September 5 - Pennsylvania
Shantee Tucker, 30, was found with a fatal gunshot wound in the back in Philadelphia.
August 30 - Louisiana
Vontashia Bell, 18, was fatally shot in a neighborhood of Shreveport. The Louisiana Trans Advocates organization released a statement condemning the shooting and calling on the city’s leaders to help curb the violence against the trans community.
Director Greg Berlanti
September 19 - Texas
Nikki Enriquez, 28, was one of four women killed in Sept. in what local officials describe as a “serial killing spree” allegedly carried out by an intel supervisor for the U.S. Border Patrol.
May 21 - Oregon
Gigi Pierce, 28, was fatally shot in Portland. When officers arrived, they tried to administer aid, but Pierce died at the scene. Police investigators say they believe that Pierce was shot during an altercation with Sophia Adler, who has been charged with Pierce’s murder, according to KGW-TV.
Vontashia Bell
June 26 - National
Interview outtakes from Jeffrey Schwarz's 2013 documentary 'I Am Divine' which feature director John Waters; actors Susan Lowe, Mink Stole, George Figgs, and Mary Vivian Pearce; film critic Dennis Dermody; production designer Vincent Peranio; and production manager Pat Moran.
Blaze Bernstein
Sasha Wall
January 5 - Massachusetts
Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, 42, was found dead in her home on January 5 in North Adams, Massachusetts. Steele-Knudslien organized and produced the Miss Trans New England and other pageants and was loved and known by many in both the local and national trans community.
April 1 – South Carolina
Sasha Wall, 29, a transgender woman of color, was fatally shot on April 1 in Chesterfield County. The FBI is assisting with local investigators and are analyzing phone records and collecting DNA evidence. Donovan Dunlap, a friend of Wall’s, expressed condolences on Facebook, writing, “I will miss you my beautiful sister. I cannot sleep, I hope they find who did this.”
June 21 – National
“Transgender Health” The number of people coming out as transgender continues to rise, and this book shows healthcare and medical practitioners how to deliver excellent primary and secondary care to gender diverse patients.This guide provides accessible and practical advice on tailoring the social and ethical aspects of practice to the needs of each individual. Beyond setting out how clinical procedures should work for gender reassignment, it explains how to use language and pronouns in a respectful way, provides information on transgender services and resources, and offers insights into the challenges commonly faced by transgender people in both medical and social contexts. Based on cutting edge research and the lived experience of the author as a non-binary person, this is essential reading for all those working to meet the needs of transgender people in healthcare settings.
June 24 - Ohio
Keisha Wells, 54, was found dead with a gunshot wound to her abdomen in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Cleveland. A longtime friend of Wells described her as “the nicest person ever” but also a “tough cookie.”
May 4 – National
"Self-ish" SELF-ish is a narrative drawn from an international life, beginning with some early glimpses out at the world by a girl in a boy’s body. Chloe Schwenke was raised as Stephen in a Marine Corps family, and was sent off at age fourteen to “man-up” at a military academy. Later―and still embodied as a man―she ventured abroad to work in some of the roughest regions of Africa, the Gaza Strip, Turkey, and many other locales. Her far-flung global journey was matched in intensity by an inner identity and spiritual struggle and the associated ravages of depression, before she came to the revelation of being a transgender woman. At a time when many Americans are just waking up to the reality of the transgender phenomenon, this portrayal of Chloe’s life, her challenging gender transition, and her many accomplishments and adventures along the way (including being among the first three transgender political appointees in U.S. history, under President Obama), creates a poignant story of authenticity, self-discovery, and the meaning of gender set against a fascinating international backdrop.
February 14 – National
Scott Evans has supporting roles in three episodes of “Grace & Frankie”, two unlikely friends who are brought together after their husbands announce that they are in love and plan to get married. His brother Chris Evans outed him late in the 2000's.
October 3 - Illinois
Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier, 31, was fatally stabbed and her body left behind an abandoned building by a man with whom she was arguing with in Chicago.
Celine Walker
Coby Bleakney
June 21 – National
"Yes You Are Trans Enough" This is the deeply personal and witty account of growing up as the kid who never fitted in. Transgender blogger Mia Violet reflects on her life and how at 26 she came to finally realise she was 'trans enough' to be transgender, after years of knowing she was different but without the language to understand why.From bullying, heartache and a botched coming out attempt, through to counselling, Gender Identity Clinics and acceptance, Mia confronts the ins and outs of transitioning, using her charged personal narrative to explore the most pressing questions in the transgender debate and confront what the media has gotten wrong. An essential read for anyone who has had to fight to be themselves.
June 18 – Mississippi
Diamond Stephens, 39, was found shot to death in Meridian. In interviews with a local television station, family members said that Stephens had an “incredible personality.” As is too often the case in the reporting of anti-transgender violence, Stephens was originally misgendered in local police statements and media reports, which delayed our awareness of this deadly incident.
October 7 – South Carolina
Regina Denise Brown, 53, a trans woman of color, was found dead in her burning home. Authorities charged Jenkins with murder in November after he confessed to killing Brown during a physical altercation.
March 7 – Missouri
Ta'Ron 'Rio' Carson was fatally shot by an assailant in a black SUV as he left the Aura nightclub in Kansas City.
Cathalina Christina James
Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien
June 24 - Florida
Cathalina Christina James, 24, was fatally shot in Jacksonville. In an interview with First Coast News, James’ mother described her daughter as having a “big and bold” personality, saying she loved to dance and travel. James is the third transgender woman murdered and the fourth shot in the Florida city this year.
May 22 – National
"Transgender Profiles: Time for Change" Transgender Profiles: Time for a Change is an inspirational volume from Linda DeFruscio about the courage it takes to become the person you have always felt you were inside to shirk off the mask that you have worn for your whole life until this moment. As an electrologist, Linda sees clients every day who are in the process of transitioning to a different gender, and she is there to help them in their journey of self-expression and the claiming of their identity. Filled with twenty unique stories of bravery from all different walks of life, this book is a tribute to all the courageous people who take their identity in their own hands and go forth to find the body that fits the soul and mind within. For those considering transitioning, for those looking for perspective and guidance in supporting loved ones, or for those who are curious and want to understand the struggles and triumphs of transgender individuals, Transgender Profiles is an invaluable resource.
Antash'a English
Daniela Vega
President Donald Trump
February 4 - Florida
Celine Walker, 36, was fatally shot in a hotel room on Jacksonville. It was not known for several days that Walker was trans because local police claimed to not refer to victims as transgender. Investigators are still looking for a suspect in her death.
July 12 – National
"Auctioned" Gray Nolan's biggest problem in life was the torch he carried for his closeted coach. He was just another happy-go-lucky dude, a college student and hockey player, when his ordinary existence was interrupted, and he became a human trafficking statistic. He and seven other young men were taken aboard a luxurious yacht where they were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Gray was beaten, shattered, and almost defeated by the time his buyer stepped out of the shadows in a swirl of his own cigarette smoke. He was Gray's new owner. Darius Quinn had vowed never again to find himself in a situation like this. His days as a private military contractor were over. No more missions, no more risks, no more personal attachments. Yet, here he was, after weeks of searching, face-to-face with his broken prize. It was time to get the knucklehead back to his family. Quick and easy was Darius's plan. Then everything went sideways.
June 12 – Illinois
Rick Elice wrote a book for a new musical based on the early life and career of Cher, titled “The Cher Show”.
August 28 – National
"To Survive on This Shore" Representations of older transgender people are nearly absent from our culture and those that do exist are often one-dimensional. For over five years, photographer Jess T. Dugan and social worker Vanessa Fabbre traveled throughout the United States creating To Survive on this Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Older Adults. Seeking subjects whose lived experiences exist within the complex intersections of gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, sexuality, socioeconomic class, and geographic location, they traveled from coast to coast, to big cities and small towns, documenting the life stories of this important but largely underrepresented group of older adults. The featured individuals have a wide variety of life narratives spanning the last ninety years, offering an important historical record of transgender experience and activism in the United States.The resulting monograph provides a nuanced view into the struggles and joys of growing older as a transgender person and offers a poignant reflection on what it means to live authentically despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
November 26 - Maryland
Tydi Dansbury, 37, a Black transgender woman, was fatally shot in Baltimore.
February 26 – Washington D.C.
The Pentagon confirms that the first transgender person has signed a contract to join the US military.
July 19 - Florida
Sasha Garden, 27, was found dead with signs of trauma in Orlando. Originally from Wisconsin, Garden is remembered by loved ones as a “firecracker” who “didn’t hold anything back.” Friend and local transgender activist Mulan Montrese Williams recalls that Garden was a talented and aspiring hair stylist and had been saving money to fund her transition.
State equality and discrimination bills
December 31 – National
Pink Is For Boys. This timely, beautiful, and empowering picture book rethinks and reframes the stereotypical blue/pink gender binary and empowers kids--and their grown-ups--to express themselves in every color of the rainbow.
September 25 – National
“Unbound: Transgender Men and the Remaking of Identity” Award-winning sociologist Arlene Stein takes us into the lives of four strangers who find themselves together in a sun-drenched surgeon’s office, having traveled to Florida from across the United States in order to masculinize their chests. Ben, Lucas, Parker, and Nadia wish to feel more comfortable in their bodies; three of them are also taking testosterone so that others recognize them as male. Following them over the course of a year, Stein shows how members of this young transgender generation, along with other gender dissidents, are refashioning their identities and challenging others’ conceptions of who they are. During a time of conservative resurgence, they do so despite great personal costs.
Nikki Enriquez
Joey Pollari
February 23 - Ohio
Phylicia Mitchell, 45, was shot and killed outside her home in Cleveland. On April 10, Cleveland.com reported that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Gary Sanders. Sanders was charged with aggravated murder in Mitchell's death. Her longtime partner, Shane Mitchell, described her as "funny and kind" and that "everyone loved her."
March 13 – National
“Transgender Mental Health” Transgender Mental Health fills this gap. Forgoing clinical jargon in favor of accessible, straightforward language, this guide is designed to educate clinicians on how to address the basic needs of the TGNC community, and thus increase access to mental health care for TGNC individuals, which has been sorely lacking to this point. Four sections address topics such as the history of the TGNC experience, mental health factors particular to the TGNC community, physical health including hormones of TGNC individuals, and gender-affirming surgical procedures, as well as nonsurgical interventions. Summarizing key points and review questions are included at the end of each chapter.
Regina Denise Brown
May 25 – U.S. Government
Roxana Hernández, 33, passed away on May 25 while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after fleeing violence and discrimination in Honduras. After an autopsy report strongly indicated Hernández was beaten in ICE custody before her death, the agency is falsely claiming its press release announcing her death constitutes its report and is disputing the accuracy of eyewitness accounts of abuse from detainees held with her in custody prior to her death.
April 27 – National
"Reading the Rainbow" Drawing on examples of teaching from elementary school classrooms, this timely book for practitioners explains why LGBTQ-inclusive literacy instruction is possible, relevant, and necessary in grades K–5.
The authors show how expanding the English language arts curriculum to include representations of LGBTQ people and themes will benefit all students, allowing them to participate in a truly inclusive classroom. The text describes three different approaches that address the limitations, pressures, and possibilities that teachers in various contexts face around these topics. The authors make clear what LGBTQ-inclusive literacy teaching can look like in practice, including what teachers might say and how students might respond.Reading the Rainbow is designed to be interactive, providing readers with opportunities to consider these new approaches with respect to their own classrooms and traditional literacy instruction.
Diamond Stephens
Viccky Gutierrez
February 6 – New York
Tonya Harvey, 35, was fatally shot in Buffalo. A friend of Harvey’s expressed her condolences on Facebook, writing: “I knew her since I started transitioning, she was so sweet and loving.” Police have confirmed they are looking into the incident as a possible hate crime.
Jared Jacobs
January 2 – California
Blaze Bernstein, an openly gay Jewish college student, was stabbed more than 20 times. Samuel Woodward, an avowed neo-Nazi and member of the group Atomwaffen Division, was charged with his murder.
Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier
February 2 – National
"The Queer & Transgender Resilience Workbook" In this important workbook, you’ll discover how to cultivate the key components of resilience: holding a positive view of yourself and your abilities; knowing your worth and cultivating a strong sense of self-esteem; effectively utilizing resources; being assertive and creating a support community; fostering hope and growth within yourself and finding the strength to help others. Once you know how to tap into your personal resilience, you’ll have an unlimited well you can draw from to navigate everyday challenges.
April 2 – National
"Keep in Touch" An internationally renowned artist Nick Mesh photographs everyday men who are mostly not in the modeling industry. All those fabulous muscular guys appear naturally in his works and look absolutely believable in their emotions. Nick tells incredible stories in each image. His stunning bodybuilders lead us into their secret wishes and make the most daring fantasies come true right before our eyes. The combination of sexiness, eroticism, charming naivety and specific visual treatment create a highly peculiar artistic identity. Feel the sincerity of flawless nudity, enjoy the harmony of light, shape and color! This album definitely must be the most welcome addition to the collection of anyone who truly admires the male form and sensual photography.
January 24 – National
“Trans” In the last decade, public discussions of transgender issues have increased exponentially. However, with this increased visibility has come not just power, but regulation, both in favor of and against trans people. What was once regarded as an unusual or even unfortunate disorder has become an accepted articulation of gendered embodiment as well as a new site for political activism and political recognition. What happened in the last few decades to prompt such an extensive rethinking of our understanding of gendered embodiment? How did a stigmatized identity become so central to U.S. and European articulations of self? And how have people responded to the new definitions and understanding of sex and the gendered body? In Trans*, Jack Halberstam explores these recent shifts in the meaning of the gendered body and representation, and explores the possibilities of a nongendered, gender-optional, or gender-queer future.
May 22 – National
"Harvey Milk" Before finding his calling as a politician, however, Harvey variously tried being a schoolteacher, a securities analyst on Wall Street, a supporter of Barry Goldwater, a Broadway theater assistant, a bead-wearing hippie, the operator of a camera store and organizer of the local business community in San Francisco. He rejected Judaism as a religion, but he was deeply influenced by the cultural values of his Jewish upbringing and his understanding of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. His early influences and his many personal and professional experiences finally came together when he decided to run for elective office as the forceful champion of gays, racial minorities, women, working people, the disabled, and senior citizens. In his last five years, he focused all of his tremendous energy on becoming a successful public figure with a distinct political voice.
February 9 – National
Matthew Wilkas at the Winter Olympics, in PyeongChang, South Korea, kissed Gus Kenworthy before his qualifying run in the men's slopestyle; the kiss was broadcast on live television and was lauded as being a significant moment in visibility of LGBT+ athletes
August 30 - Illinois
Dejanay Stanton, 24, was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
April 5 - Ohio
Coby Bleakney, age 12, of Maysville High School, Zanesville. Bleakney was often bullied at school, so much so that he was afraid of going to school. His mother knew Coby was being picked on because he would come home crying every day. She found Coby lying on the floor in his room, dead, with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He had shot himself with his mother's .22-caliber handgun that she had kept in a safe.
March 16 - National
Greg Berlanti is a writer director that produced Love Simon. Joey Pollari who came out when he was 18 was a supporting actor as one of Simon’s potential boyfriends.
Phylicia Mitchell
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