Miss Nate Nate
Age 4413 Jun 2011
Northborough Drive, Houston, Texas (USA)
Shot
TDoR list ref: tgeu/13-Jun-2011/(Nathan Eugene Davis)
Miss Nate Nate was shot in the head near an apartment block where she was reported to have worked as a sex worker. Her body was found near a dumpster.
Police released a sketch of the alleged perpetrator, who is assumed to be a man in his late 20s to early 30s.
tdor.info identifies the victim as "Miss Nate Nate (or Née) Eugene Davis".
Known as “Miss Nate Nate,” the victim, née Nathan Eugene Davis, was pronounced dead on the scene. Trans community members are rallying to call attention to this latest brutal murder perpetrated against the Houston transgender population. Ms. Davis was known by merchants and residents in the area and had contact with the police in the days prior to the fatal attack, according to Click2 Houston.
The Houston Police Department has released a composite drawing of the suspect in the killing, described by witnesses as a 5’11” tall African American male in his 20’s or 30’s with a muscular physique. No motive has been announced for the murder as of this writing.
Issues of gender identity, self-naming, and popular misconceptions concerning transgender people are swirling around this story. The local and regional media, picking up on the misreporting of the Houston Police as to the gender identity of the victim, have mis-identified Ms. Davis as a “man.” For years, Ms. Davis chose to identify herself as a female, and lived her life accordingly.
Police were calling her a sex worker. Most news stories reflect the none-too-sublte bias of law enforcement officers and media professionals, that the life choices, dress, and habits of the victim somehow explain why and how this crime happened. The transphobia embedded in the culture often comes to the fore in such critical moments, when the character and legitimacy of whole populations of trans people are called into question by the dominant culture.
Ms. Davis was described by local merchants as “respectful,””nice,” and “courteous.” There are no leads to the whereabouts of her killer as yet but according to ABC News 13, a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect has been posted as an incentive to the public. A memorial of fresh-cut flowers and rainbow flags was placed near the site of “Miss Nate Nate’s” murder on Tuesday, thanks to the leadership of Cristan Williams, local activist.
https://unfinishedlivesblog.com/2011/06/15/transwoman-murdered-behind-apartment-dumpster/
‘Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide’ research project: Houston Press, blog, 13.6.2011, 14,6.2011; Click 2 Houston, online portal, 13.6.2011
