TVT TMM UPDATE • TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 2021

375 trans and gender-diverse people reported murdered in the past year

 

11 November 2021 – On the occasion of the International Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR),1 TGEU’s Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT) research project is releasing the 2021 update of Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM).2

2021 is set to be the deadliest year for trans and gender-diverse people since we began collecting data, with 375 registered murders between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021. This represents a 7% increase from the 2020 update, which was already a 6% increase from the 2019 update. Brazil remains the country that reported the majority of the murders (125), followed by Mexico (65) and the United States (53). The data shows that a total of 4042 trans and gender-diverse people reported being murdered between 1 January 2008 and 30 September 2021.

TDoR 2021 data shows that:

  • 375 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered, 7% more than in the TMM update 2020;
  • Cases from Greece, Kazakhstan, and Malawi were reported for the first time;
  • 96% of those murdered globally were trans women or transfeminine people;
  • 58% of murdered trans people whose occupation is known were sex workers;
  • Murders of trans people in the United States have doubled from last year; people of colour make up 89% of the 53 trans people murdered;
  • 43% of the trans people murdered in Europe were migrants;
  • 70% of all the murders registered happened in Central and South America; 33% in Brazil;
  • 36% of the murders took place on the street and 24% in their own residence;
  • The average age of those murdered is 30 years old; the youngest being 13 years old and the oldest 68 years old.

Data indicate a worrying trend when it comes to the intersections of misogyny, racism, xenophobia, and hate towards sex workers, with the majority of victims being Black and migrant trans women of colour, and trans sex workers. These numbers are just a small glimpse of the reality on the ground. The majority of the data was collected from countries with an established network of trans and LGBTIQ organisations that conduct the monitoring. In most countries, data is not systematically collected. Most cases continue to go unreported and, when reported, receive very little attention.

More information

Media contact:
Lukas Berredo, Communications Coordinator


NOTES: 

1 Since 1999 the Trans Day of Remembrance, also known as Transgender Day of Remembrance, (TDoR), takes place every November. It is a day on which trans and gender-diverse people who have been victims of homicide are remembered. Starting in the US, TDoR is now held in many parts of the world.

2 The Trans Murder Monitoring (TMM) research project systematically monitors, collects, and analyses reports of homicides of trans and gender-diverse people worldwide. Updates of the results are published on the TvT website: http://transrespect.org/en/trans-murder-monitoring/tmm-resources