It has been less than 3wks since Blaque/OUT reported the death of Persia Conway in Houston, Texas. Today we bring you another devastating loss of Marlow Trottie (as reported by KALB5 Louisiana) in Alexandria, Louisiana.

A woman and her little brother were walking in Southwest Houston and discovered the body of a Trans woman, naked and deceased by the Bray’s Bayou River on Memorial Day. Police reported the victim as being Trans “by their outward appearance.” The cause of death and official identity of the victim have not been released by authorities but Los Angelos advocates and social media posts have indicated that she may be a woman named Persia that had recently relocated from LA to the Houston area.

Blaque/OUT Magazine recently reported the alarming statistic that 7 individuals of the Trans experience had lost their lives to violence in the US in the last 45 days. Terrifyingly, we were mistaken, it was 8. Our investigative team just learned that Lanessa Rodriguez was murdered in a robbery attempt of her Gold and Silver Pawn shop in Fort Pierce, Florida in April.

Eryka Caldwell’s, 41, live-in boyfriend, Jonathan Fernandez, 38, was arraigned in court Monday on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Police say he fatally slit Caldwell’s throat and stabbed her multiple times inside their Brooklyn apartment early Sunday morning. He was found sitting on the couch calmly waiting for authorities to arrive before being taken into custody.

Blaque/OUT Magazine first began following the story of Davonta Curtis, 31, on April 9th. Due to widespread misgendering by both police and media outlets, her identity confirmation was delayed until this afternoon, when local Chicago news outlet WGN verified that Davonta was a Black woman of transgender experience.

On April 8th, Davonta’s sister discovered her badly beaten body inside her West Side Chicago apartment after being unable to reach her since Easter Sunday. That day, Davonta had visited her sister with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Deandre Bell, 24, when they brought groceries and gifts for the holiday.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Davonta died from blunt force trauma. Her injuries were so severe that responding officers initially believed she had been shot. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the couple returning to her apartment on Easter; later, Davonta re-entered alone, and around 1 a.m., Bell was seen leaving by himself.

Authorities later apprehended Bell while he was driving Davonta’s car.

In February, Blaque/OUT Magazine reported the removal of the Pride flag that flew outside of the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City. The Trump Administration removed the flag quietly but subsequently there were protests and outrage from community members and allies. At one such protest, community leaders joined to raise the flag in defiance.

However, the Pride flag will once again be displayed at New York's Stonewall monument after the Trump administration settled a lawsuit brought on by LGBTQIA+ advocacy orgs over its removal. Although there were uprising all over the country, the 1969 Stonewall riot sparked the accepted beginning of the LGBTQ rights movement and the week long protest was the inspiration for what we now know as Pride and Pride parades all around the world. The flag and monument in question stands directly across from the Stonewall Inn where a police raid on a gay bar sparked the riot and started it all.

Around an hour and twenty-five minutes into the live-streamed program, the atmosphere shifted. A visibly hurt and frustrated Doroshow announced that despite what she had been told and what she had paid for, she had been informed that they would not be receiving their full time and the program would be cut short. Mariah Moore was the next to speak, and although forced into brevity, started with,

“How cliche, we are here celebrating someone who lived such a full life and we are told that we have limited time.”

0:05: Sam Nordquist

1:05 Trans Passport Ban Reversal

2:34 Tennessee Gender-Affirming Care SCOTUS decision

(Albany, New York) - On March 19th, the New York State Legislature honored the tradition of Black Journalism and Media with Black Press Day at the Capitol. Every year, March 16th is celebrated as “Black Press Day” to honor the 1st Black newspaper ever published in 1827. This year, five Black-Owned publications, started in New York State were recognized on the Assembly floor with a Proclamation Reading, Press Conference and Panel Discussion. Hon. Stefani Zinerman presented The New Amsterdam News of Harlem published since 1909, the Buffalo Criterian Newspaper first published in 1925, the Harlem Community Newspaper started in 1995 represented by Our Town Newspaper out of Brooklyn and Blaque/OUT Magazine started in 2020.

Lobby Days at the Florida capitol have begun, bringing countless special interest groups to Tallahassee to meet with electeds to encourage the representatives to vote with them in mind. This week, Equality Florida hosted a contingent of 400+ LGBTQ+ community members and allies to bring attention and humanity to the plight of Queer and especially Trans Floridians. The country is reeling under the current federal administration seeing everything from DEI and Civil Rights Protections stripped away to the ability for those of the Trans experience to serve in the military. Sadly, this is a familiar fight in Florida as many of the current federal policies were seemingly “tested out” on the state of Florida.

(February 21, 2025) - Blaque/OUT Magazine is sad to report that the missing 25yr old in North Carolina, Ervianna "Baydee" Johnson, was located on Wednesday on Bermuda Bay Lane by family members that had been searching for her since her disappearance in the early morning hours of February 13th.

The gruesome way that Sam Nordquist died has made international news this week. A few internet pictures have circulated widely that you can imagine he never intended for millions to see, the mug shot of the five monsters accused of taking his precious life away and images of his heartbroken family huddled on a motel room bed overcome with grief after an unexpected pilgrimage to upstate New York to reclaim their beloved Sam. These images and the horrific details of the torture he endured will be the lasting memories most associated with Sam Nordquist for the millions of strangers that only learned his name this week.

Rochester, NY (the city nearest to where Sam was found) is our Editor, Tamara Leigh’s hometown so Blaque/OUT Magazine began covering Sam’s disappearance and the devastating conclusion earlier than most media outlets, but it was our intention to stop continued coverage until the trial verdict to avoid being a part of the sensationalized coverage that will undoubtably follow a news story of this magnitude. It’s always our goal to tell OUR stories but not to exploit them. However, we came across a short, sweet post made by Face To Face Academy in St. Paul, MN where Sam graduated in 2020 that felt too important not to share with our readers.

You often hear of families who have abandoned their Trans family member, even their GOFUNDMEs often misgender them which can be incredibly dehumanizing and painful for the friends and chosen family who knew them in life. To honor who someone is, is to respect who they authentically were both in life and death. In the interviews with both Tahiry and Sam’s family, they stood by their loved ones and used correct pronouns and names through immense heartbreak and grief. There was a vigil for Tahiry on Valentine’s Day and there wilI be one held in Canandaigua on February 17th.

Both family’s have created GOFUNDME’s to raise money for their travel and funeral expenses which will be significant as both will be bringing their children home from another state to lay them to rest. If you are in the position to give, at this moment, Sam’s GOFUNDME has raised $12,764 and Tahiry’s GOFUNDME has only raised $105.

Since Day 1 of the Trump Administration, the Trans community has been hit over and over again with vicious Executive Orders that challenge everything from their right to serve in the military, to ability to receive life-saving care, to questioning their very existence. While organizations and Attorney Generals from across the nation bring the legality and constitutionality of these actions to Federal Justices for intervention, the consequences of the hateful rhetoric spewing from our highest offices is parroted by the masses and puts the lives of every single Trans community member in more and more danger every day. This week alone, the murders of both Tahiry Broom and Sam Nordquist hit the news and an already hurting community.

In 2022, Blaque/OUT Magazine told you the story of 20 year old Jimmie “Jay” Lee, a missing University of Mississippi student. He was a popular LGBTQ student pursuing his Masters degree at the University. He was well-known, out and popular. On July 8, 2022, he disappeared. His social media posts stopped, his bank transactions stopped and his family hadn’t heard from him. Lee’s mother reported him missing, a search ensued but Jay Lee was never heard from again. Over the weekend we learned that Jay Lee may have finally been found.

A young, white nursing student is murdered on a trail in Athens, GA near the University of Georgia campus and there is an international media frenzy. An undocumented immigrant is arrested, tried and convicted. Months later, Santonio Coleman was murdered on a trail in Athens, GA near the University of Georgia campus and there is no press, no arrest and no justice for Santonio.

Watching the emotional video posted by Lavelle Dunn on his @thelavelleshow TikTok channel you can’t help but wonder if like most things, the potential ban of the social media platform giant, TikTok, will disproportionately effect the Black and Queer like nearly every societal issue has. Although there have always been complaints that the algorithm favors white influencers, BIPOC creators and specially Black, Queer creators have found life changing success and popularity on the platform. Where do they go and what do they do now?

Social media certainly comes with it’s danger and societal ills but it has also become the great equalizer that makes every one a reporter. Recorded videos of police brutality, footage of missing people and broadcasted bad behavior of racists in public have arguably brought more justice to the Black community than any law enforcement agency ever has. The compounded levels of persecution that come with Intersectionality mean that members of the Black LGBTQ community face all of the prejudice and lack of opportunity of Blackness coupled with the homophobia and Transphobia that comes with Queerness. That means fewer opportunities by far, less access to self-promotion whether you are a brand, musician, creator or personality as well as the loss of community that is statically invaluable and life saving for members of marginalized communities. It may sound crazy, but not only may the TikTok ban end people’s careers, it may be the catalyst to some people in crisis, taking their own lives.

(December 20, 2024) - CBS42 in Alabama reports that an 18yr old young Black Trans woman was found murdered on the 600 block of East 35th Avenue in Tuscaloosa, Alabama by the Tuscaloosa County Violent Crimes Unit on December 16th.

The victim, Cameron Thompson, who went by “Cam” was believed to have been shot just after midnight early Monday morning. She left her home late the night before but her mother contacted police the next day after returning from her night shift and discovering Cam’s purse and other items were still in her room. The family was unable to reach her by phone and became concerned. Upon contacting police, Cam’s mother was informed about the deceased person that had been discovered in a yard near the street with a GSW and her mother identified her.

The family is supportive and

[Photograph by Mamadi Doumbouya 2021]

(December 9, 2024) - Born Yolanda Cornelia Giovanni, Jr., on June 7, 1943, in Knoxville, Tenn., Nikki Giovanni’s mastery of language, narration of a movement and sheer brilliance will forever carve her place in history. Battling her third bout of cancer, Giovanni passed on December 9, 2024. Giovanni leaves a lifetime of art and words that unapologetically describe the struggle, intersectionality, longing, race and revolution. She was above all else and before it was en vogue, authentic, raw and unapologetically Black. Nikki famously said in an interview with Rachel Martin that she didn’t care about her legacy but there were moments that made her proud,