If you have all read Gaye Magazine you might recognize that I am, again, writing about another death of a black, transgender woman. There are more transgender deaths than there are months in the year and perhaps more, but the deaths are either unreported or misgendered.
The most recent death is a woman named Kiki Fantroy, only 21 years old. On July 31st Kiki, previously known as Marquis, was coming home from a friends party when she was killed in front of an abandoned building.
The Miami Herald reports that the police found Kiki before sun up at Southwest 224th Street and 115th Court. Kiki was taken to the hospital where she misgendered and pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The police noted that there were multiple witnesses near to where the shooting happened, and the police are currently "making progress".
Miami Dade Police Lee Cowart said, “Detectives have determined there were a number of witnesses and we’re asking the community to come forward."
Currently the police are passing around flyers asking for information and an offer of 3000$ for information leading to arrest. The police also say that the shooting happened due to an argument. At the moment they have no reason to believe that the shooting had to do with Kiki's gender.
Kiki's mother, Rhonda Comer, believes differently (Please Note: Rhonda Comer spoke to Miami Herald using both "he" and "she" pronouns when talking about Kiki despite Kiki transgendering over a decade ago.)
“Whatever he was, he didn’t deserve to die. In this world you got people that will love you, you got people that dislike you. And that’s just life..I think his love over-ruled. He didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve to be shot...This feeling is indescribable. The pain. The void. You know that feeling after losing a child and you losing a child for no apparent reason. Because she’s gay..And my understanding, you know, my understanding was she was killed because of her desire to be a woman..Kiki had a heart of gold. He was a very loving person, would do anything for his friends. Marquis had to deal with being bullied a lot until recently....He started taking a stand for himself. He went through being beaten up, being talked down. He was the average teenager, the average 21-year-old. At that point they want to have fun. They want to be accepted. And that’s what he was."
Kiki was a young woman who loved music, whose hair was "slayed" and had a dream to become the next @RuPaul.
“That was her dream, RuPaul...She wanted to be another RuPaul. She used to say one day she was going to California," said her mother.
R.I.P Kiki Fantroy. If anyone has any information, please contact Homicide Det. C. Perez at 305-471-2400 or, to stay anonymous, the Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Crimestoppers also accepts reports at CrimeStoppers305.com under “Submit a Tip” and at Facebook.com/CrimeStoppers305 under “Contact Us.” (edited)
Comentarios