Trans Black Man, Mel Groves Murdered as Texas Advances Anti-Trans Legislation
“Mel Groves had an incredibly bright future, but it was stolen from him well before his time. The loss of such a life is a tragedy for our community and for the world. We must work to create a society where trans people, especially Black trans people, no longer have to live in fear.”
– Tori Cooper, HRC Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative
This past Monday, Mel Groves, 25, a Black trans man and student at the HBCU, Alcorn State University, in Lorman, Mississippi, was shot multiple times. After driving himself to the hospital he collapsed getting out of his car and died later that day according to PinkNews.com
According to the Human Rights Campaign,
“Groves’ death is at least the 39th violent death of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2021. We say “at least” because too often these deaths go unreported — or misreported.
HRC recorded 44 deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people in 2020, more than in any year since we began tracking this violence in 2013.
“More than 10,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm each year, which equates to more than 28 each day, according to a 2020 report from HRC, Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, Giffords Law Center and Equality Florida titled “Remembering and Honoring Pulse: Anti-LGBTQ Bias and Guns Are Taking Lives of Countless LGBTQ People.” The report also notes a marked increase in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes, especially against transgender people. According to the 2017-2019 Transgender Homicide Tracker, three-fourths of confirmed homicides against transgender people have involved a gun, and nearly eight in 10 homicides of Black trans women involve a gun. Further, advocates saw a 43% increase in the formation of anti-LGBTQ hate groups in 2019.”
Read HRC’s full article,
“HRC Mourns Mel Groves, Black Transgender Man Killed in Jackson, Mississippi”
Hate crimes don’t just happen. Hate doesn’t just happen. This kind of discrimination, bigotry, and hate is modeled and taught by our nation’s leaders who not only condone it but legislate it. Leave it to Texas which has become the epic center of straight, white, male, “Christian” supremacy to lead the way yet again in legalizing discrimination.
According to The Texas Tribune
“The Texas House approved legislation on Thursday that would restrict transgender student athlete participation in school sports, clearing a notable hurdle for supporters of the measure after similar legislation sailed through the Senate and stalled in the House three times prior this year.
House Bill 25, authored by state Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring, passed with a 76-54 vote. Before Thursday’s vote, House Speaker Dade Phelan signaled that the House would have enough votes to pass the restrictive sports legislation. The bill will now head to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.”
Read the full article
Texas Republicans have declared war on the rights of voters, women, people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants and basically anyone who is not them. It’s exactly what the Nazi’s did and how they taught their children to hate in the 1930’s. It is time for Texas to change their song to “Deep in the Hate of Texas” and replace the “lone star” on their state flag with the swastika.
(main photo: Mel Groves via Facebook)
Texas is protecting girls from boys dominating their sports. Stop whining about crap like that and maybe you’ll stop being ignored. The entire argument lacks common sense. If you were born with a penis, you play boy’s sports and cannot use female locker rooms. That’s it. Whatever else you want to do with your life is fine, unless you’re a real woman trying to kill a defenseless baby in the womb. Then, again, Texans will step in to stop the insanity.
The real “insanity” going on is in what you’re saying and why we’ve decided to approve your delusional, hateful, transphobic, comment of all to see.
Texas Republicans are not protecting anyone except themselves and their corrupt, loser leader who incited the insurrection on January 6th.
Texas has become an abomination and disgrace to democracy in its attempts to deny the Constitutional rights of its citizens.