Mayor of Baltimore speaks out after trans woman’s death leaves LGBTQ+ community reeling
Tai’Vion Lathan was shot dead in Baltimore (GoFundMe)
The mayor of Baltimore has spoken out after a transgender woman was shot dead on Sunday (4 August).
The body of a trans woman, named as 24-year-old Tai’Vion Lathan, was found in an alley off North Monroe Street at about 10am, the police said. No arrests have been made.
Democrat mayor Brandon Scott, who ran on a platform of tackling gun crime, said: “This is what you hear me talking about when you talk about that culture of violence. We have to think about that in its completeness, for everybody in the city, including members of the transgender community.”
Lathan was described by her aunt Carla Stokes as “a very outgoing person, a sweetheart”, and her best friend Page Boyd asked: “How can you do this?”
Speaking to CBS Baltimore, Boyd said: “There [are] so many hearts breaking open out here. How can you wake up every day knowing what you did? It’s terrible. Tai didn’t deserve to be in no alley.
“She will never be forgotten, [I will make sure] she’s never forgotten.”
Lathan’s death is the latest in a wave of anti-trans violence that has left the local LGBTQ+ community reeling.
Desire Bandz, a co-ordinator for trans-led drop-in centre Maryland Safe Haven, said: “It really hurts to know that this is another one. It should not be another one. We really need support right now.”
In April, Trans Maryland published a survey which showed that more than 46 per cent of transgender people had experienced physical and/or sexual assault at least once in their life.
The research also found that 55.4 per cent of trans people in the state had experienced threats of violence at least once, while 31.6 per cent suffered this on at least three occasions. More than three-quarters of respondents had experienced verbal assaults or abuse a number times, and close to 38 per cent had been the victim of property theft or vandalism.
A vigil for Lathan is being held on Friday (9 August) and a fundraiser has been launched to pay for the costs of her funeral.
Anyone with information about the killing is being asked to contact Baltimore Police on 410-396-2100. People who want to remain anonymous can use the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line, at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
