Trans Woman Kitty Monroe Murdered In Domestic Violence Incident Remembered As A ‘Beautiful Person’

Dozens of transgender and non-binary people have been violently killed across the United States in 2022, including Kitty Monroe, a Black trans woman in Tennessee remembered as a beloved friend as well as a devoted mother to four dogs.

“Kitty was a beautiful person; her energy was always light and fun,” said Jasmine Tasaki, the founder and executive director of the Memphis-based WeCareTN, an organization that helps trans people. “Her family and friends will miss her. I hope we will hold closer to each other in this dark time. Memphis has lost another beautiful person, but we’ve gained an angel.”

Officers arrested Samuel Ward Jr. and charged him with voluntary manslaughter in connection with Monroe’s death, which was believed to be a domestic violence-related incident, according to The Advocate.

On June 29, 2022, Ward claimed to police that he was in a home in Cordova with Monroe when she ordered him to leave. Monroe allegedly pulled a gun on him, and the two fell down a staircase during a struggle, WATN-TV reported.

An affidavit obtained by the station states Ward, who was also armed, pulled out his own gun and allegedly shot Monroe multiple times. Police said he then left the scene and phoned authorities, who found Monroe dead from her injuries.

A Human Rights Campaign report noted the majority of violent deaths involving trans people between 2013 and 2021 were linked to domestic violence. Two-thirds of the victims whose killers were able to be identified in those cases had their lives cut short by an acquaintance, friend, family member, or intimate partner, the organization found.

According to HRC, 2021 marked the deadliest year on record for gender non-conforming and transgender people.

“Dehumanizing rhetoric has real-life consequences for the transgender community, particularly transgender women of color but especially Black transgender women,” HRC Interim President Joni Madison said of the nearly 60 deaths of trans and non-binary people reported last year.

The actual number of slayings is likely higher since police and media often misgender trans or gender-nonconforming victims.

“Kitty Monroe should still be alive today to spend time with her beloved friends and four dogs,” Chyna, Milan, Tokyo and London, said Tori Cooper, director of community engagement for HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative. “We must remember her name as we continue the fight against this epidemic of violence on Black transgender women.”

“Her death came too soon, and it is up to us to celebrate the life she lived and do better to protect transgender and gender-nonconforming people in our communities,” Cooper added.

For more information on the various forms of domestic violence, and tools and resources for those who need them, visit NoExcuseForAbuse.com.