BY BTL STAFF
DETROIT – A 20-year-old trans female of color was found murdered Aug. 8 near Six Mile and Woodward.
Equality Michigan reported Amber Monroe, a trans Wayne State University student, was found shot and killed on the city's west side Saturday morning.
Monroe is the 12th transgender woman murdered in the U.S. this year and the 10th trans woman of color.
"Our hearts are heavy with grief that we have lost another vibrant member of our community too soon. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of Amber's family and friends whom she clearly loved deeply. We have no idea yet whether this attack was fueled by transphobia," Yvonne Siferd, director of Victim Services for Equality Michigan, said. "Transgender women, and especially transgender women of color, are disproportionately affected by violence. Her life was just beginning; I know that this loss will leave so many people with a hole in their lives and with more questions than answers. Let's come together to celebrate her life, and work for real change so that our transgender sisters can be free from persecution. I know we can do better. We have to do better."
According to Equality Michigan, Monroe loved her friends and voguing.
Dani Woods, LGBT Liaison Officer to the Detroit Police Department, reports that no other information can be released at this time.
The Detroit police investigated three hate crimes, including a murder, against transgender people in the same area last year.
In 2013, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported that 72 percent of anti-LGBT homicide victims were trans women and that 67 percent were trans women of color. In 2014, they reported that trans women were 5.8 times more likely to experience police violence and 6.1 times more likely to experience physical violence from the police.
