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Black trans woman Honee Daniels killed in hit-and-run in Rochester, N.Y.

Black transgender woman Honee Daneils killed Rochester NY

(portrait) courtesy Rochester LGBTQ+ Together; (background) Shutterstock Creative

Daniels was a pedestrian, and the driver who hit her left the scene.

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Honee Daniels, a 37-year-old Black transgender woman, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Rochester, N.Y., last Wednesday.

She has been misgendered and deadnamed in local media reports.

The accident occurred just before midnight. Daniels was a pedestrian, and the driver who hit her left the scene, TV station WHAM reports. She was pronounced dead soon afterward.

The driver and vehicle have since been identified, but no arrests have been made, and the accident remains under investigation.

After the incident, her family gave her name to media outlets as Honee Moffett, but local activists said her name was Honee Daniels. Some were slow to correct their reporting, but most have done so now, according to the activists. The latest WHAM story refers to her as a "pedestrian" and "victim," with no gender mentioned.

“The victim identified both publicly and privately as a transgender woman,” says a press release from Blaque/Out Magazine.

“Although several stations have posted updates to the story, the accepted media practice would be to correct the original misreported piece in print if possible and digitally everywhere it originally appeared,” the release continues. “This isn’t just new information, it is considered disrespectful and a documented form of transphobia, transmisia, prejudice and oppression visited upon the LGBTQIA+ but specifically the Trans community. Despite the fact that your original reporting information was likely provided by [the Rochester Police Department], organizations nationwide track the disproportionate rate of deaths of Trans community members, specifically Black Trans women and those numbers are deeply skewed when the media misreports the accurate identity of the individual. These errors whether purposeful or in ignorance can even lead to delayed justice for families and victims.”

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"We did receive timely responses from [media outlets] where they recognized our frustrations and made changes to what was reported," Javannah J. Davis, president and founder of WAVE Women, told The Advocate via email. "My biggest frustration with that is that the Rochester Police Department first reported her as a 'Man' at the scene of the accident. I wholeheartedly feel that them reporting that was a deliberate insult to her and the Rochester Transgender community because Honee looked nothing like a man in her daily life."

A celebration of life for Daniels will be held October 18 at the Wegman Building in Rochester’s Seneca Park. There will be visitation hours from 1 to 6 p.m. and a memorial service at 6 p.m.

Daniels is at least the 28^th trans person to die by violence in the U.S. this year. Most of them have been Black women. There are likely many others in any given year who are not counted because of deadnaming or misgendering, or if their deaths are not reported at all.

Capt. Greg Bello, a spokesman for the Rochester Police Department, told The Advocate that Daniels's family did not mention her trans identity and that the department meant no disrespect. While no charges have been filed, that's not to say they won't be, he said. Police have encouraged the media to speak with Daniels's loved ones. She is "not just another statistic" but "a person," he added.

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