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Judge: Kevin Spacey owes almost $31 million
On Aug. 4, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana confirmed that embattled actor Kevin Spacey must pay House of Cards producer MRC nearly $31 million for alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes of the ...
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Committee makes recommendations for expanded court service for Cook County domestic-violence victims
-- From a press release
CHICAGO (July 29, 2022) — The Circuit Court of Cook County Committee on Domestic Violence Court has developed a plan to improve court access to help domestic violence victims, which will include an after-hours pilot program ...
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GoFundMe page for UpRising Bakery raises thousands of dollars
A GoFundMe page for Lake in the Hills venue UpRising Bakery and Cafe—an LGBTQ+-owned site that was the subject of protests and vandalism after planning to host a family-friendly drag show that was later canceled—has raised ...
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Man arrested for vandalism of LGBTQ+-owned suburban bakery
Authorities in Lake in the Hills, a suburb of Chicago, have made an arrest in the case of the vandalism of a bakery that had to cancel an all-ages drag show because of the crime, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Joseph I. ...
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NATIONAL Miami textbooks, Lia Thomas, Florida churches, Key West figure dies
Miami-Dade County students could go months without sex-education books after school board members, by a five-to-four vote, rejected two proposed textbooks over concerns they violate the state's Parental Rights in Education bill, known by opponents as ...
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Man indicted for attacking men in D.C. for their sexual orientation
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Michael Thomas Pruden, 48, with five counts of assault on federal land, one count of impersonating a federal officer and a hate-crimes sentencing enhancement alleging that Pruden assaulted ...
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More than 500 women sue Uber over claims of sexual assault
Uber is being sued by more than 500 women who claim they were assaulted by drivers who use the ride-hailing platform, CNBC reported. The complaint—filed in San Francisco County Superior Court—claims that "women passengers in multiple ...
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Kevin Spacey pleads not guilty in London in sexual-assault case
On July 14, two-time Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey pled not guilty of sexual assault in London's Central Criminal Court, according to WAGM-TV. The former House of Cards star, who ran London's Old Vic theater between 2004 ...
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Reports: Chicago trans woman murdered in West Englewood neighborhood
A Chicago trans woman was attacked and died the late evening of July 11/early morning of July 12, according to reports. An individual was found with multiple stab wounds after Chicago Police Department (CPD) answered a ...
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John Pennycuff's memorial library at Unity Park is graffitied
The John Pennycuff Little Library, at Chicago's Unity Park, was recently sprayed with graffiti. Robert Castillo, Pennycuff's surviving husband, stated on Facebook that some tried to cover the original tagging with their own rainbow-hued graffiti. ...
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Former Japanese prime minister dies after being shot
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on July 8 after being shot while giving a campaign speech on a street in central Japan, CNN reported, citing public broadcaster NHK. Japanese publication Nikkei also reported that ...
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'Cheer' star receives prison sentence
On July 6, Jerry Harris, the former star of hit Netflix docuseries Cheer, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for child pornography soliciting sex from minors, Variety noted, citing USA Today. Harris, 22, ...
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Jeffrey Epstein cohort Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years
On June 28, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for carrying out a years-long scheme with her longtime confidante (and former boyfriend) Jeffrey Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls, media ...
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Mass shooting takes place at Norwegian gay club
Oslo's annual Pride parade was canceled June 25 following a deadly shooting at a gay bar that Norwegian police are investigating as a possible terrorist attack, CNN reported. Two people were killed and eight others taken ...
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Murdered man's brother continues search for information about 2004 killing
Video below
A Rockford man is continuing to search for clues about the circumstances surrounding his brother's 2004 murder in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood. Kevin Clewer was found murdered in his apartment on the 3400 block of North ...
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Pride Flag arsons raise alarm, church leaders say
-- From a Metropolitan Community Church press release
The intentional burning of two LGBT Pride flags in Baltimore earlier this week resulted in three people being seriously injured and significant damage to multiple homes, and leaders of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) are expressing ...
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Autopsy shows manner of death in Elise Malary's death is undetermined
The Cook County medical examiner's officer revealed that trans activist Elise Malary died from drowning but that the manner of death could not be determined, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. Malary's body was found in Lake Michigan ...
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Batavia police looking into Pride-flag thefts
In Batavia, four Pride flags displayed on homes were stolen overnight on June 15, causing damage, according to ABC 7 Chicago. Authorities said flagpoles and mounts, which displayed the flags, were broken. Two incidents happened in ...
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Man shot outside Lake View nightspot
No one is yet in custody after a shooting along the 3300 block of North Halsted Street during the early morning of June 13. The story was first reported by CWBChicago on June 13. The incident ...
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Spacey charged with sexual assault; UK hearing set for June 16
British authorities have charged actor Kevin Spacey with four counts of sexual assault and a further offense, Deadline reported. The actor has also been charged with causing a person to "engage in penetrative sexual activity without ...
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Idaho police arrest dozens with white nationalist ties near Pride event
In Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, police officers arrested 31 people on June 11 who are believed to be affiliated with the white nationalist group Patriot Front after they were seen gathering near a Pride parade, CNN reported. ...
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States might make having kids at drag events a felony; LGBTQ+ groups respond
Video below
Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini wants to make it a felony for any parent to bring a child to a drag event, WFLA reported. MYSA also noted that Republican Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton announced on ...
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NATIONAL Trans survey, Gays Against Guns, TIME 100, candidates, crimes
Transgender women experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, poor health services and low pay are less likely to receive necessary HIV prevention support or treatment, according to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study based on responses from ...
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Jussie Smollett back to work; BET+ plans to show his directorial debut
Embattled former Empire actor Jussie Smollett is back to work after being convicted of faking a hate crime in Chicago earlier this year, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Smollett, 39, makes his directorial debut in the movie ...
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Kevin Spacey charged with sexual assault in the UK
In the United Kingdom, embattled actor Kevin Spacey has been charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of "causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent," Variety reported. The decision ...
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Governor Pritzker, Lt. Governor Stratton comment on Texas tragedy
-- From a press release
Chicago — In the wake of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, that killed at least 19 students and two adults, Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton released the following ...
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NBA coach/former Chicago Bull pleads for gun control after Texas shootings
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr discussed something besides basketball in his pregame news conference heading into Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks on Many 24, ESPN noted. "Since we left ...
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Gov. Pritzker signs legislation addressing rise in organized retail thefts
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — On May 13, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker joined Attorney General Kwame Raoul, lawmakers, advocates and law-enforcement officials to sign legislation designed to combat a nationwide rise in coordinated retail thefts. "This new law represents ...
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WORLD South Africa, Greek ruling, soccer items, singer attacked
South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa praised his country for creating a conducive environment for LGB people to practice same-sex marriages and partnerships, according to Erasing 76 Crimes. Speaking at a Freedom Day celebration in Mpumalanga, ...
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Virginia trans teen killed at party
The life of Black transgender girl Ariyanna Mitchell, 17, ended violently at a party in Hampton, Virginia, on April 2—and the accused killer asked her if she was a boy or a girl before shooting her, ...
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'Moulin Rouge' performance canceled after Loop shooting
Broadway In Chicago canceled the May 1 performance of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, following the nearby shooting in The Loop, ABC 7 Chicago reported. A 27-year-old man and a 55-year-old ...
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Rape, murder of Kenyan lesbian spark outrage
Kenyan authorities said six men who raped and murdered Sheila Adhiambo Lumumba, 25, on April 19 in her home in Karatina actually targeted her because of her sexual orientation, The Washington Blade reported. The body of ...
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Roommate indicted in death of Florida LGBTQ+-rights activist
A Florida grand jury indicted a man for first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the death of his roommate—LGBTQ+-rights advocate Jorge Diaz-Johnston, brother of former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, CNN reported. ...
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Cook County state's attorney expunges 15,000+ cannabis convictions
-- From a press release
CHICAGO - On Friday, April 22, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (CCSAO) will present 214 additional cannabis cases to be automatically expunged, bringing the total to 15,191. The Cannabis Expungement Project nears an end following ...
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Wealthy California politico sentenced for deaths of two Black gay men
On April 14, U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder sentenced former West Hollywood resident and LGBTQ+-rights activist Ed Buck, 67, to 30 years in federal prison for supplying the methamphetamine that killed two gay Black men—Gemmel ...
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Gov. Pritzker lauds legislation to strengthen Illinois' response to military sexual violence
-- From a press release
SPRINGFIELD — In a nation-leading effort to protect survivors of military sexual violence and hold perpetrators accountable, the Illinois National Guard worked closely with state Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tony ...
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Lynching now a federal hate crime
After multiple failed attempts that spanned more than a century, there is now a federal law that designates lynching as a hate crime, NPR reported. In a March 29 ceremony at the White House, President Joe Biden signed ...
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Woman found dead along Evanston lakeshore confirmed to be trans-rights activist Elise Malary
A woman whose body was found on an Evanston beach the evening of March 17 has been identified as missing activist Elise Malary, Chicago Sun-Times reported. The body was found in Lake Michigan at the 500 ...
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Barrington LGBTQ+ students allegedly targeted by pellet-gun shootings
Two Barrington High School students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community were allegedly targeted in a pellet-gun shooting on campus this week, The Chicago Tribune reported. Officials said the incident is likely related to the ...
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Former Ind. college president pleads no contest to child sex-crime charges
On March 17, the former president of Indiana's Franklin College pled no contest to child sex-crime charges in a Wisconsin court, WRTV reported. The college fired Thomas Minar in January 2020 after he was arrested on ...
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Former Chicago alderman sentenced to 13 months in prison
On March 17, U.S. District Judge John Kness sentenced former Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz to 13 months in prison for wire fraud and money laundering, The Chicago Tribune reported. Munoz stole tens of thousands of dollars ...
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Smollett ordered released while case is appealed
The legal developments involving embattled Empire actor Jussie Smollett seem to have more twists and turns than any episode of his former show. Smollett was ordered released from jail on March 17, pending appeal of his ...
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Jussie Smollett receives sentence for reporting fake hate crime; Kim Foxx responds [UPDATE]
More than three years after reporting a homophobic and racist hate crime against himself that a jury ruled he faked, Cook County Court Judge James Linn sentenced embattled actor Jussie Smollett to ...
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Hulu to stream Ryan Murphy projects 'Pose,' 'AHS' and 'Crime Story' starting March 7
Hulu will stream three of out gay producer Ryan Murphy's most acclaimed and award-winning hit shows from FX and 20th Television: American Crime Story, American Horror Story and Pose, a press release noted. For the very ...
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Smollett seeks new trial or not-guilty verdict
Embattled actor/singer Jussie Smollett filed paperwork seeking either a new trial in Chicago or a not-guilty verdict two months after he was convicted of falsely reporting a hate crime against himself in 2019 that supposedly happened ...
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WORLD Russia, hate crimes in Israel, Gus Kenworthy, Indian state
The Russian government made an unsuccessful attempt to shut down one of the country's largest and most prominent LGBTQ-rights groups, but human rights advocates say there are likely more attempts on the horizon, NBC News noted. ...
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Kim Potter receives sentence for killing Daunte Wright
Kim Potter—the former Minnesota police officer convicted of manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright—was sentenced to two years in state custody on Feb. 18. The sentence was lower than that permitted by state sentencing guidelines, ...
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Lightfoot, city leaders, advocates highlight increasing rates of domestic violence
-- From a press release
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, city and community leaders highlighted the increase in domestic violence-related incidents in Chicago throughout the pandemic and the support and services available to domestic ...
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Former 'Cheer' star pleads guilty in child-porn case
Jerry Harris, one of the stars of the Netflix series Cheer, has pled guilty in a federal child-pornography case, media outlets reported. According to NBC News, Harris, 22, was indicted in December 2020 on numerous charges ...
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WORLD Beijing Olympics, Honduras crimes, Grindr, Argentina agency
At least 35 of this year's Olympic athletes are openly LGBTQ+—more than double the number of queer competitors from the 2018 winter competition in PyeongChang, South Korea, according to an NBC News item that cited the ...
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WORLD Church officials come out, Polish bill, crimes, Hannah Gadsby
More than 100 Catholic church officials in Germany came out as LGBT, queer or non-binary, adding to calls for reform within the crisis-hit church, TheLocal.de reported. Demands for a more liberal attitude to homosexuality within the ...
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With her sexual orientation called a motive to kill, she's now appealing for clemency
This story was initially produced by Injustice Watch, a nonprofit newsroom focused on exposing institutional failures that obstruct justice and equality. Subscribe to their weekly newsletter here. Prosecutors in Bernina Mata's 1999 murder trial made ...
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Smollett to be sentenced March 10
On Jan. 27, a judge set an in-person sentencing hearing for March 10 for embattled actor Jussie Smollett (Alien Covenant; TV's Empire), who was convicted by a jury last December of faking a hate crime attack ...
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Ex-NU professor sentenced for fatally stabbing boyfriend
On Jan. 25, former Northwestern University professor Wyndham Latham—who, in October 2021, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Trenton Cornell—was sentenced to 53 years in prison, WGN-TV reported. Lathem, 47, was ...
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WORLD Namibia ruling, crimes, LGBTQ+ film festival, blogger sentenced
Namibia's High Court ruled against two same-sex couples fighting for recognition of their marriages, with Judge Hannelie Prinsloo saying she agreed with them but was bound by the nation's prohibition of same-sex relations, Reuters reported. Daniel ...
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Chief Judge Evans responds to Mayor Lightfoot's request on electronic monitoring
-- Press release from Office of the Chief Judge Cook County Circuit Court
Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans responded Jan. 19 to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's request for a moratorium on use of electronic monitoring for defendants accused of certain violent crimes by pointing out the national and state ...
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Amariey Lej, 20 year old Black trans woman, killed in Pennsylvania
-- From a NBJC press release
WILKINSBURG, PA- The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) mourns the loss of Amariey Lej, a 20-year-old Black transgender woman. Amariey was shot and found lying in the streets of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, on January 1, 2022. Lej ...
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Duval Princess, 24 year old Black trans woman, found shot to death in Florida
--From a NBJC press release
FLORIDA The National Black Justice Coalition mourns the loss of Duval Princess, a 24-year-old Black transgender woman. Princess was found shot in a car at Highland Square shopping center in Jacksonville, Florida, on January 3, ...
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Ahmaud Arbery's killers sentenced to life
On Jan. 7, three white men who chased and murdered Ahmaud Arbery were sentenced to life in prison in a Georgia courthouse for the 25-year-old's murder in 2020. According to CNN.com, Travis McMichael, 35; his father, ...
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Trans woman killed at Indianapolis nightclub
Ke'Yahonna Stone, a 32-year-old trans woman and community advocate, died after being shot in the parking lot of an Indianapolis nightclub, LGBTQ Nation reported. The shooting occurred early Dec. 26 outside the Epic Ultra Lounge. Stone ...
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Jury reaches verdict in Ghislaine Maxwell case
On Dec. 29, jury found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on five of six counts related to her role in Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of minor girls between 1994 and 2004, CNN.com reported. The trial, which took place ...
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Judge orders release of report on handling of Smollett case
On Dec. 20, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin authorized the release of a report exploring the way Cook County prosecutors and Chicago police handled the Jussie Smollett matter, The Chicago Tribune reported. The move came after ...
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USA Gymnastics, USOPC reach $380M settlement with abuse victims
On Dec. 13, a federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis confirmed a $380-million settlement between USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee with hundreds of victims of former national team doctor Larry Nassar, among others, ...
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VIEWS Will Smollett's hoax affect public perception of hate crimes?
Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett was recently found guilty on five of the six counts of felony disorderly conduct for concocting an elaborate racist and homophobic assault against himself. Each Class 4 felony count can land ...
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Smollett guilty on five counts
After over nine hours of deliberation, a jury found actor Jussie Smollett guilty Dec. 9 of faking an anti-gay hate crime against himself in Streeterville on Jan. 2019, according to multiple reports. Smollett was guilty of ...
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Remembering Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier
Trans Omnibus Project
"And hold that pose for me." That's what Ciara Minaj Carter Frazier's family would hear in the middle of the night, as Ciara was up late voguing, said her sister Lunetta Frazier. "We definitely miss her, ...
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Remembering Tyianna Alexander
Trans Omnibus Project
Chicagoan Tyianna Alexander, also known as Davarea Alexander, was the first trans woman to die by murder in the city in 2021. She was 28. Alexander was shot to death the morning of Jan. 6 at the 800 block of West ...
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Remembering T.T. Saffore
Trans Omnibus Project
Jaliyah Armstrong can still remember how brightly T.T. Saffore smiled. "Silly T.T.," Armstrong called her. Saffore's "magic" that jokester smile would bring Armstrong solace regardless of what was going on around them. ...
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Remembering Paige Clay
Trans Omnibus Project
Paige Clay could turn anything into a runway. One time, she strutted up and down the middle of a street, feet sashaying on the yellow lines and cars driving past her in both directions. The wind ...
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Remembering Tiffany Gooden
Trans Omnibus Project
When Tiffany Gooden was killed in August 2012, she was only 19 years old. Almost a decade later, her murder remains unsolved but there's more to her than the details of her death, according to her friends ...
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Remembering Tiara Richmond/Keke Collier
Trans Omnibus Project
Tiara Richmond, also known as Keke Collier, was killed on Feb. 21, 2017, after being shot while sitting in a car with a man in Englewood. She was only 24 years old and was the second Black transgender woman killed in ...
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Remembering Tiara Banks
Trans Omnibus Project
On April 21, 2021, transgender woman Tiara Banks was killed in her car in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. According to local news reports, Banks, 24, was sitting alone in her Ford Fusion when a ...
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Remembering Courtney Eshay Key
Trans Omnibus Project
Courtney Eshay Key, 25, was a loyal and outspoken friend. She loved to make jokes, wear colorful wigs and invite friends to cook for her. In late 2020, she confided to a friend at a party that she was ready to ...
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Remembering Dejanay Stanton
Trans Omnibus Project
Although Darius Stanton had not seen his sister, Dejanay, in 12 years, he can clearly remember how Dejanay's laugh would fill up a room. It would echo and bounce off the walls. He remembers how infectious ...
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Remembering Selena Reyes-Hernandez
Trans Omnibus Project
Selena Reyes-Hernandez, 37, lived on the Southwest Side of Chicago in the Marquette Park neighborhood. She was an artist and used the stage name Selene Maldonado. In the early hours of May 31, 2020, an 18-year-old ...
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