Labelle was
last seen alive March 13 on the city’s south side, Windy City Times reports. Her body was
discovered Friday afternoon. The Cook County medical examiner performed an
autopsy and ruled her death a homicide, having determined she was beaten to
death. Police are continuing to investigate.
Most media
reports deadnamed Labelle, Windy City Times notes. Little
information is available about her from her Facebook page or other sources.
Six other
trans Americans are known to have died by violent means so far in 2022, after a
year that saw a record 57 such deaths reported. The total in any year is likely
much higher, given that many trans people are misgendered or deadnamed by
police and media, or that their deaths are not reported at all. Most of the
victims the decade since activists and LGBTQ+ media have been reporting on
these deaths have been Black or Latinx women.
The report of
Labelle’s death comes shortly after that of another Black transgender Chicago
woman, activist Elise Malary. Malary’s body was pulled from
Lake Michigan Thursday, and she was positively identified Saturday. She had
been missing for several days. Police have said, however, that they do not
believe Malary was a victim of foul play.
SOURCE: ADVOCATE
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