Malena Suarez
23 Oct 2012
Carolina, Puerto Rico (USA)
Stabbed
TDoR list ref: tgeu/Oct-2012/Malena Suarez
Marina was a trans activist of Transexuales y Transgeneros en Marcha. Members of her organization believe that Marina was killed because she was transgender. She was the 30th victim of known anti- LGBT-violence in the last 10 years in Puerto Rico.
TvT project: Windy City Media 23.10.2012
Malena's body was found in her home withmultiple stab wounds to the back. It is not known how long she had been dead before she was found.
Puerto Rico experienced its 30th anti-LGBTQ homicide in the past ten years when the body of transwoman Malena Suarez was found dead in her home in Carolina with multiple stab wounds in her back. Ten of those murders have been in the last two years, according to a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. Puerto Rico officials have not yet classified any of the homicides as hate crimes under either local law or the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
Suarez was a volunteer with the transgender advocacy organization Transexuales y Transgeneros en Marcha (TTM). It is reportedly unclear how long she had been dead when the body was found.
TTM members believe that Suarez was killed because she was transgender. Local media reports have not acknowledged Suarez's transgender identity, continuing a trend of inaccurate media reports of transgender victims of violence in Puerto Rico.
TvT project: Windy City Media 23.10.2012
