It’s time to rewrite the trans erasure narrative

Illustration by Skye Ali
Illustration by Skye Ali
Illustration by Skye Ali

Noonie Norwood was found dead after being fatally shot around the 2700 block of Hull street last week.

Norwood’s murder has garnered attention as it signifies the second LGBTQ minority killed in the Richmond area in less than a month. The murder of Ava Tucker, a Henrico native, in October marked the first.

The constant subjugation of the LGBTQ community cannot be ignored any longer, especially at times like this when the cultural climate in America has become as ominous as it was in the era of Jim Crow.

At first, articles published pertaining to Norwood’s death severely misgendered her, though some of these outlets had comments from the Richmond Police Department, who had spoken to Norwood’s mother and were informed Norwood used female pronouns.

CBS 6 initially published a headline reading “Man dressed as woman” online, and later changed it. ABC 8 has still not updated their online story to reflect Norwood’s correct pronouns.

Since then, Norwood’s friends and allies from the LGBTQ community have come forth to reaffirm that Norwood was indeed beginning the process of transitioning and seeking to become more active in the local LGBTQ community.

This makes Norwood the first confirmed murder of a trans person in the Richmond area since the 2013 murder of Amari Hill, which also took place in Richmond’s Southside.

As people who are in the margins of our society begin to live in fear for their lives as a result of Tuesday night’s election, we must remind a vast majority of the population that the lives of the disenfranchised are not disposable.

While the existence and reaffirmation of trans identities coming to the forefront of the American zeitgeist, the crimes against them that have been occurring since the events of Stonewall must be spoken about in an unabridged manner.

While Noonie Norwood’s death investigation is still very early and very much ongoing, I hope the Richmond Police Department and the city as a whole will finally become more responsive to the needs of this city’s trans citizens.

Trans individuals face discrimination on a daily basis due to misinformation and ignorance surrounding their gender identities, and there are very few places in Richmond for trans individuals to seek safety or even receive proper medical care.

People must come together to choose to maintain the beauty of equality and rise above. I have learned not to regret or resent, because you can always grow flowers from where dirt used to be. Norwood’s death is extremely indicative of the internal struggle the LGBTQ community has steadily had to face and attempt to overcome in the last few years: the actual inclusion of trans individuals in the movement. 

A movement such as this inherently fails if any of the groups included falls behind. This is something to remember as we move forward and try to make our communities safe and conscious.


STAFF COLUMNIST

Shaun Jackson. Photo by Sarah KingShaun Jackson
Shaun is a senior studying psychology. He is a fashion columnist for INK Magazine and radio host for WVCW 102.9. Shaun is really silly and loves to read good books and bad people. He’s always “fashionably” late to the after-work hang-out sessions, but always shows up with the latest tea. Shaun is passionate about feminist hip-hop, pop culture and being the center of attention. His spirit animals are Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn from the DC Comics. You can usually find Shaun playing video games at the front desk of the SMC or next at Velocity Comics.
jacksonsk@commonwealthtimes.org


STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

Skye LimSkye Ali
Skye is a senior majoring in Communication Arts and minoring in Psychology. She is passionate about illustration and finding creative spaces to have open discussions about mental illness. A fervent animal lover, she would probably be a herpetologist in another life.
Facebook | Portfolio | alis@commonwealthtimes.org

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