Yelling His Name: Black Trans Mourning and the Murder of Tony McDade

At one of the actions I attended last week, I called Tony’s name into the space. I reminded people that Black Lives Matter was originally coined by three Black women, two of them queer — with the very clear intention that all Black Lives Matter — especially us on the margins. Liberation is not trickle down — as Black trans people we can’t just “wait our turn” for the police to stop killing Black cis men before we address the violence we face. We need to acknowledge intracommunal violence as our Black trans sisters like Iyanna Dior get attacked at rallies that are meant to celebrate and uplift all Black life. We need to practice what we preach and light candles and hit the streets for Tony like we do for George, we need to pack Transgender Day of Remembrance for our Black trans siblings like we do the victims of police brutality. I keep trying to get chants started for him at the marches and vigils I attend. It hasn’t caught on yet, but I have hope.