Milwaukee has become the latest site of tragedy for the transgender community after the murder of Cashay Henderson, the seventh trans, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming person to die by violence in the United States this year. Henderson’s body was discovered in a burning apartment building in Milwaukee, where she had recently returned to from Chicago, on Sunday morning. She was identified by the local LGBTQ+ group Diverse & Resilient. She was the third Black trans woman killed in Milwaukee in the past nine months, the others being Brazil Johnson and Mya Allen, while a fourth, Toi Davis, died under what police called suspicious circumstances.
Henderson was 31 years old and had been fatally shot before the fire was set. The fire may have been set to cover up the gunshot, “as a further act of desecration,” or for some other reason. Henderson was active with a Milwaukee organization called Sisters Helping Each Other Battle Adversity and went by the name Gemini Shanti with SHEBA. The group tweeted a tribute to her, saying, “She was nothing less than a joy to be around.” Christopher Allen, president and CEO of Diverse & Resilient, pointed out to the station that LGBTQ+ people suffer discrimination every day. “That discrimination can create environments where they don’t feel welcome, they don’t feel supported,” Allen said.
Henderson’s death has sparked outrage and a call for justice. She was misgendered in an early report from another TV station, WISN, and Twitter users are calling this out. The station changed “person” to “woman” in a headline after learning she was trans. Black Rose Initiative and other Wisconsin organizations tweeted tributes to Henderson, with the Black Rose Initiative calling her “a great friend and great influencer in our community.” Henderson’s cousin Veronica Beck has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses. Milwaukee activists plan to hold a memorial vigil soon, while police ask that anyone with information about her death contact them or Crime Stoppers.
Henderson’s death is a tragic reminder of the continued violence faced by the transgender community, particularly Black trans women. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 44 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were killed in 2020, the majority of whom were Black and Latinx transgender women. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies continue to demand action to protect and affirm the rights and dignity of all transgender and gender-nonconforming people.