Putting an end to trans murders

My indignation at the passage of Prop 8 pales in comparison to my outrage at two more murders of transgender women. From the Washington Blade:

Allyson Robinson, an associate director at HRC, said that she doesn’t think it’s alarmist to use the word “epidemic” for the violence that has been occurring against transgender people.

Robinson said that at least 15 transgender people have been killed this year because of their gender identity.

This epidemic should be at the top of the LGBT community's, and the broader civil rights community's, agenda. State and federal hate crimes laws would be a nice symbolic gesture, but are not likely to have a lot of practical effect. Antidiscrimination laws will help make it possible for more trans people to find safe jobs and housing. But we also need more and better social services and health care for trans people. We need policies and education to ensure that health care providers, police and prisons treat trans people with dignity and respect. We need to secure coverage for transition-related care under Medicaid and private insurance.