First Reported Murder of Trans Womn in 2016: Rest In Power Monica Loera

It is with great sadness that I must report the first trans womn murdered in 2016. Monica Loera, may she rest with our trancestors.

She was recently misgendered and dishonored by a kxan nbc report. Please put public pressure on them to demand that they use the name she addressed herself as and not drag someone who was recently murdered in the mud.

According to Police reports and eye witnesses she was shot by a cis white man by the name of JonCasey William Rowell as was believed to be an alleged client last seen with her on the eve of January 22nd. He has since been taken into custody this past Tuesday to Travis County Jail with a bail set to $250,000. More in depth reports to story here.

Given that we don't know her reality or if the police are using her alleged sexwork as a way to justify this shooting, and how a mere $250,000 bail establishes the worth of the life of a trans womn of color by the Criminal [In]Justice Cistem, lets focus on the things police reports dont...

Monica Loera was tragically murdered at the ripe young age of 43 year old, she was a Latinx womn, and is survived by her friends, loved ones, and now people of varying trans, gender non conforming experiences across the board. It pains me to know that she is now getting the attention she wouldn't have gotten when she was alive.

Can people start to treat our trans sisters with the respect they deserve now?! Can self-titled "allies" follow through with the promises, bread, and roses they made to us? Colonization is responsible for these violent gender roles and socialy constructed "identities" imposed on all our bodies. If we only had a firmer grasp of the devastation it causes maybe we could learn to live and love without fear.

To the trans womn, trans femmes, and gender non conformists literally fighting everyday to be and exist in this world, keep on keeping on. Your stories and hardships are imprinted on us all and through our collective pain we gain a collective strength. Do not stop fighting for yourselves and your sisters. Love yourself just as much as you love her.

àṣẹ !!