Kiki Fantroy Is 13th Black Trans Woman Reportedly Murdered in 2019

According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, Kiki Fantroy was murdered on Wednesday morning. While they do not believe the murder was a hate crime, Fantroy's mother has publicly speculated that she was targeted because of her gender identity. Fantroy's sister is reportedly also skeptical about this news.

According to the Miami Herald, Fantroy was killed during an argument and found near an abandoned home. Her mother says she was returning home from a party with friends when this happened. Police have since distributed fliers and the local Crime Stoppers is offering $3,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the murderer. Police have said that there was a group of people nearby the shooting.

"Last night when I read the story, it broke my heart. I actually was in tears," Sahfari Ebony, of the League of Extraordinary Transgender Women told Local 10. That organization provides resources to Black trans women in South Florida.

"To see that one of my trans sisters has been killed and the killer is still out there and they can't find them, anybody could be next."

In local reports, Fantroy was deadnamed, which speaks to an ongoing structural issue with coverage of news surrounding trans people. Deadnaming and misgendering in news reports is not only transphobic and insensitive, but likely means that statistics surrounding trans people and the violence against them may be inaccurate.

Fantroy reportedly loved music and doing hair. Though she was only 21, she began her transition over a decade ago. Since then she has suffered bashings and bullying.

A celebration will be held in the memory of Fantroy on Wednesday, August 7 in Miami. Organized by The League, the event will take place at 6PM at Pridelines. The theme is "Take Back The Night: A celebration of the power and strength of Black trans women."

"We stand with our Black trans sisters and stand ready to take action under the leadership and guidance of the local trans community," the Alliance for GLBTQ Youth wrote in a Facebook post about the news.

RELATED | Hate Crimes Against LGBTQ+ People Are the Highest in a Decade