Tasiyah Woodland: Trans teen with “powerful spirit” fatally shot in Maryland
Tasiyah “Siyah” Woodland, an 18-year-old Black trans woman, has tragically become at least the eighth trans person killed in the US this year.
Content warning: This story includes topics that could make some readers feel uncomfortable and/or upset. The teen was shot and killed in Mechanicsville, Maryland on 24 March, according to local news outlet WMAR 2.
Police responded to reports of shots fired in the car park of the Big Dogs Paradise bar in the early hours of the morning, where Tasiyah was found dead.
The sheriff’s office has since stated that it does not believe the shooting was motivated by gender identity or that LGBTQ+ residents in the vicinity are at an increased risk of danger. READ MORE: 25% of Black trans+ youth attempted suicide in the last year, study finds In a statement shared on Facebook, LGBTQ+ organisation PFLAG Southern Maryland said it had spoken to the officer in charge of the case to ensure Tasiyah is treated with “respect and dignity” in death. “PFLAG also voiced concern regarding the potential for worsening stigma around our trans and queer residents,” it stated. “This is an unfortunate reminder that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women – particularly black, indigenous and people of colour. “Trans people are more likely to lack access to education, healthcare, and are often forced into unemployment, poverty, homelessness; all of which increases their risk of violence.” READ MORE: ‘Transphobia will not end violence against women’ Tasiyah has been remembered as a “powerful spirit” who was “never too far” from those she cared about when they needed her. “She was a woman who was high spirited and protective of those she loved,” her aunt wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help
