IDAHOBIT 2018: Transgender women are still being killed at an alarming rate

This International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), it’s important to highlight one of the most maligned and discriminated against groups in the acronym – transgender women.

IDAHOBIT is marked every year on May 17, with the date chosen to mark the anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s decision to remove homosexuality from their classification of diseases in 1990.

When thinking about the difficulties and discrimination that is still faced by the LGBT community in many ways, it’s important to look at the setbacks and tragedies that have lined the way and see how much progress still needs to be made.

2017 was the deadliest year for transgender people in the US on record, but 2018 is shaping up to be almost as violent once again, particularly against trans women of colour.

10 transgender women have been confirmed as being killed since the start of 2018.

Christa Leigh Steel-Knudslien

Christa Leigh Steel-Knudslien, known for founding and running Miss Trans New England and Miss Trans America pageants, was killed on January 5.

Her husband, Mark Steele-Knudslien, has been arrested on suspicion of the murder after he confessed to police that he had killed her.

An autopsy found that she died from a loss of blood from a stab wound.

Related: Europe human rights chief says governments must invest more to tackle homophobia

Viccky Gutierrez

Viccky Gutierrez was killed and found severely burned on January 10.

Gutierrez, was originally from Honduras but lived in Los Angeles, and was described by friends and family as “such a sweet girl.”

The victim was reportedly a sex worker and friends believe that she may have faced additional issues because of this.

Zakaria Fry

28-year-old Zakaria Fry was reported as missing on January 29.

Police were alerted about Fry disappearance’s after the family of her housemate found his home in “disarray”.

One body was later found stuffed into a rubbish bin, another was found two miles away on the same road just outside of Santa Fe, Albuquerque.

Celine Walker

Celine Walker was found shot to death in a motel room in Jacksonville, Florida on February 4.

The 34-year-old woman was misgendered by authorities after her death, as police reports misgendered Walker and used her deadname meaning initial reports did not recognise her trans identity and caused the announcement of her death to be delayed by over a week.