La’Daijah Walters Murdered This Morning In Mobile, Alabama
While the nation celebrates Pride, party goers are recovering from the weekend and organizers are preparing for the upcoming weekend’s festivities- a bruised and battered Trans community is waking up to learn yet another Black Trans woman has lost her life to violence all too soon. News WKRG5 in Alabama reported early this morning about a shooting that happened around 6:35 a.m. inside an apartment unit at 5725 Old Pascagoula Road in Mobile. The story was updated to reflect by 10AM that the victim had passed and was being investigated as a homicide. Although local news stations have not yet identified the victim by name, Blaque/OUT Magazine was unfortunately able to confirm through Alabama advocates and a friend of the victim that she was being misgendered in reports and is in fact, La’Daijah Walters of Mobile.
La’Daijah’s friend Malia shared with us,
She really wanted to leave Alabama. She had been talking about it a lot. She tried to get work. But, she was discriminated against. So relied on survival sex work and truly wanted out. So for this to happen to her now I just hitting extra hard.
Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd the Founder and Executive Director of TAKE Recourse Center posted:
Yet again, another Black trans woman has had her life taken. La'Daijah Walters deserved the opportunity to live, thrive, and exist safely in this world. Far too often, Black trans women are targeted, fetishized, and treated as disposable. Many of us are forced into survival economies because society continues to deny us equal access to employment, housing, healthcare, and opportunity. The reality is that if Black trans women had equitable opportunities to earn a living, many would never have to rely on survival sex work to meet their basic needs. This is bigger than one tragedy. It is about the systems that continue to fail Black trans people and leave us vulnerable to violence. To the Mobile Police Department: we are watching, and we expect a thorough investigation. We demand justice for La'Daijah Walters and accountability for the person responsible for taking her life. Rest in Power, La'Daijah Walters. Your life mattered. Your name will not be forgotten. Sending love to Mobile LGBTQ + community not a Happy Pride!!
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to contact the MPD at 251-208-7211. Tips can be left anonymously by text at 844-251-0644 or on the Mobile Police Department website (mobilepd.org/crimetip).
The murder of Trans, NB, and GNC individuals has been an epidemic in the United States for well over a decade. But the last three months has been truly shocking with at least 12 murders in just the last 12 weeks. We will provide more information as it becomes available. Love and light to LaDaijah’s friends, family and community in Alabama. May you find #JusticeforLaDaijah