Honee Walker
Age 372 Oct 2024
Rochester, New York (USA)
Run over
Honee was killed in a hit-and-run incident. Local media misgendered and deadnamed her.
The driver responsible has been identified but not arrested, and the "accident" remains under investigation.
Honee Walker, a 37-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Rochester, N.Y., last Wednesday. Walker has been misgendered and deadnamed in local media reports.
The accident occurred just before midnight. Walker was a pedestrian, and the driver who hit her left the scene, TV station WHAM reports. She was pronounced dead soon afterward. The driver and vehicle have since been identified, but no arrests have been made, and the accident remains under investigation.
After the incident, Walker’s family gave her name to media outlets, but some have not corrected their reporting. The latest WHAM story, however, states her correct name and refers to her as a "pedestrian" and "victim," with no gender mentioned.
“The victim identified both publicly and privately as a transgender woman,” says a press release from Blaque/Out Magazine.
“Although several stations have posted updates to the story, the accepted media practice would be to correct the original misreported piece in print if possible and digitally everywhere it originally appeared,” the release continues. “This isn’t just new information, it is considered disrespectful and a documented form of transphobia, transmisia, prejudice and oppression visited upon the LGBTQIA+ but specifically the Trans community.
"Despite the fact that your original reporting information was likely provided by [the Rochester Police Department], organizations nationwide track the disproportionate rate of deaths of Trans community members, specifically Black Trans women and those numbers are deeply skewed when the media misreports the accurate identity of the individual. These errors whether purposeful or in ignorance can even lead to delayed justice for families and victims.”
https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-honee-walker-killed
https://gaycitynews.com/rochester-black-trans-woman-killed-hit-and-run/
