“Trans people deserve safety, acknowledgement, and respect.”
Indya Moore dedicated their outfit at the Daily Front Row’s annual Fashion Media Awards to murdered trans women.
They wore earrings consisting of portraits of the trans women who have been murdered in the US this year: Dana Martin, Jazzaline Ware, Ashanti Carmon, Claire Legato, Muhlaysia Booker, Michelle Washington, Paris Cameron, Chynal Lindsay, Chanel Scurlock, Zoe Spears, Brooklyn Lindsey, Denali Stuckey, Kiki Fantroy, Pebbles LaDime Doe, Tracy Single and Bailey Reeves.
The star – who currently portrays Angel Evangelista in Ryan Murphy’s LGBTQ drama Pose – carried a photo frame of the latter, who was recently shot to death in Baltimore, Maryland on 2 September. There are currently no suspects.
“I feel so honoured to share this space with you people,” they said at the event.
“It’s a very expensive venue. It’s populated by very expensive people. All of our lives are so expensive, including mine and people like me. As you all know, or not, I am black and I am trans.
“Some of you may be uncomfortable with the politics of my speech, and I won’t apologise for that, because my life is politics. I accept this award in honour of the truth that the best award, and the award we all deserve, is to be able to get home safe.
“I accept this award in good faith that my recognition doesn’t lead to the erasure of other trans and gender non-conforming folks who also deserve healthcare, housing, safety, and visibility.”
Moore demanded “safety, acknowledgement and respect” for trans people, “not just when we’re on the cover of magazines, but when we are in the streets, when we are poor, when we are sex workers, when our hair isn’t laid.
“When we can’t afford Louis Vuitton. Or when we can’t get access to a hormone shot, and especially when we are dying.”
Transgender women, in particular, face extraordinarily high levels of violence in the United States. Last year, 26 trans individuals were killed – a majority of which were black and Latina – and 25 of those were women.
17 trans individuals have been killed this year, 16 of which have been trans women of colour.
Moore made a point to reference the statistics on their Instagram page, captioning their photo: “While we make up .6 percent of the American population, The life expectancy of trans women/femmes is 35 years old.
“Existence that requires bravery is not freedom. A life that requires bravery is not free.”
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