Did you know that the average life expectancy for a Black trans woman is 35?

According to a report by the UNC School of Medicine, the average life expectancy for a trans woman of color is between 30 and 35. The report attributes this devastatingly low number to the disproportionate rates of violence that trans women of color face. In 2016, there were 23 known deaths due to transphobic violence tracked by the Human Rights Campaign and most among them were Black trans women. This figure has shown no signs of improvement. There were 29 deaths tracked in 2017, 26 in 2018, and there has already been one reported death in 2019. Black trans women, such as transgender activist Ashlee Marie Preston, have taken it among themselves to reimagine a thriving future for the trans community in the face of these tragic statistics. Preston launched the #ThriveOver35 campaign “to help Black trans women reimagine themselves somewhere other than an open casket.” By: Paula McCloud UNC School of Medicine: https://www.med.unc.edu/ncaidstraining/clincian-resources/blog/national-transgender-hiv-testing-day-blog-post/ Human Rights Campaign: https://www.hrc.org/resources/violence-against-the-transgender-community-in-2016