Five months after Jade Roberts was found dead, misgendering, thin coverage, and silence still shaped the public record. This article corrects that record.
If at all possible, I would get out of Texas. I know that isn’t always possible so is there survival strategies literature available for black trans women?
That question matters because “just leave” is never simple when safety, money, housing, documents, support networks, and state hostility are all part of the trap.
Survival resources need to be built around that reality: practical exit planning when possible, safer local support when leaving is not possible, and public records that keep Black trans women from being abandoned twice.
Why? Why does such callousness, insensitivity and cruelty need to be directed to people who pursue lifestyles that not everyone understands? Where is our humanity and our basic common decency? Our tolerance, compassion, empathy and understanding? The story of Jade Roberts and others is very deeply disturbing. Soul crushing, actually.
That is the part that has to be named: Jade Roberts did not need public permission to be treated with dignity.
The cruelty sits in how quickly people turn a Black trans woman’s life into something to misunderstand, minimize, or move past — when the basic demand is human decency, truth, and a record that does not let her disappear.
Very dangerous times for anyone who stands out, especially our trans community. For those of us who having relatives that we worry about, offer them safety and keep in touch often.
If at all possible, I would get out of Texas. I know that isn’t always possible so is there survival strategies literature available for black trans women?
That question matters because “just leave” is never simple when safety, money, housing, documents, support networks, and state hostility are all part of the trap.
Survival resources need to be built around that reality: practical exit planning when possible, safer local support when leaving is not possible, and public records that keep Black trans women from being abandoned twice.
Why? Why does such callousness, insensitivity and cruelty need to be directed to people who pursue lifestyles that not everyone understands? Where is our humanity and our basic common decency? Our tolerance, compassion, empathy and understanding? The story of Jade Roberts and others is very deeply disturbing. Soul crushing, actually.
That is the part that has to be named: Jade Roberts did not need public permission to be treated with dignity.
The cruelty sits in how quickly people turn a Black trans woman’s life into something to misunderstand, minimize, or move past — when the basic demand is human decency, truth, and a record that does not let her disappear.
Very dangerous times for anyone who stands out, especially our trans community. For those of us who having relatives that we worry about, offer them safety and keep in touch often.
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