Yesterday, in observance of Trans Day of Remembrance, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) published a new report, Fatal Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People in the United States, which tracks data relating to transgender and gender nonconforming people killed in the last year and provides insight into trends over time.
Twenty-seven total cases of fatal violence against transgender and gender non-confirming people were recorded in the last year (from after Transgender Day of Remembrance 2024 through November 20, 2025). Since 2013, HRCF has recorded the deaths of 399 transgender and gender nonconforming victims of fatal violence – we say “at least,” as many deaths often go unreported or misreported, or misgendering of victims leads to delays in their identification. What is clear, however, is that the 399 people stolen since 2013 were overwhelmingly people of color, with Black trans women disproportionately impacted by fatal violence against the community, and guns were involved in the majority of cases.
“Our transgender and gender nonconforming siblings deserve to live safe, fulfilling, joyful lives, just like every other member of our society. But this plague of violence is robbing us of so much; so many dear friends and loved ones gone too soon, especially Black trans women who continue to bear the worst of this epidemic. Our entire trans community bears the scars of these horrible losses, and it is time for our leaders to ensure that trans people, and all people, are protected by the same policies and procedures. Our lives are as valuable as everyone else.”
Tori Cooper, HRC Director, Strategic Outreach & Training
Since HRCF began tracking violence against the trans community in 2013:
- Seven in ten (70.4%) trans and gender non-conforming victims were people of color
- Eight in ten (82.3%) were transgender women
- About six in ten (59.4%) were Black transgender women
- An overwhelming majority (71.2%) were killed by a firearm
“Every person deserves to feel safe, to be treated with dignity, and to live their truth without fear. The annual release of this crucial report, which honors the beloved members of the transgender and gender nonconforming community who have been taken from us in the past year, is a somber and devastating reminder of why our fight for that dream continues. This year, these deaths are punctuated by a political movement and powerful politicians who have fanned the flames of hate and are driving our trans siblings even further to the margins of society, all as part of a misguided, cynical attempt to divide and conquer the country. Every anti-equality politician, from Donald Trump and his cabinet, to those in Congress and state Legislatures, needs to see these numbers, see these names and faces, and see the cost of the cruelty they have greenlit. HRC will continue to do everything in our power to fight for our trans siblings, hold hateful politicians to account and build a world where reports like this are no longer needed.”
Kelley Robinson, HRC President
HRCF, as part of the report, is also including data from its 2025 Annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey that speaks to the climate of bigotry and fear that transgender and nonconforming people are facing this year
Transgender and gender-expansive adult respondents to the survey noted:
• 43.9% had experienced discrimination based on their sex, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression
• 41.7% said that the LGBTQ+ community is facing less acceptance compared to 12 months ago
* 57.6% said they were less open about their LGBTQ+ identities compared to a year ago, and 58.5% said they were less visible in daily life than a year ago
Also publishing this month in connection with these observances is an essential resource from Advocates For Trans Equality, their Trans Remembrance Project, which includes detailed data and sensitive and caring portraits of members of the trans community lost this year, including those lost by violent means.
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.
