Kathleen Moyer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

Maya Young, a 25-year-old transgender woman of color, was stabbed to death in the Frankford section of Philadelphia late Saturday night. According to police, she was found lying in the street with multiple stab wounds to her chest and neck before being rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died 20 minutes later.

No arrests have been made in the case yet. The city is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. People with tips can call 215-686-3334.

While investigators are still searching for a motive, the brutal murder of Young seems to reflect the murders of Keisha Jenkins and London Chanel – two transgender women of who were killed in Philadelphia last year. These murders are part of a pattern of increased transgender homicides across the United States. Statistics indicate that transgender homicide is becoming an epidemic, especially among women of color like Young, Jenkins, and Chanel.

In 2015, 23 transgender people were killed – the highest annual total since advocacy groups began keeping a record of transgender murder rates. Nineteen of those victims were transgender women of color. According to a 2013 report on LGBT hate violence by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, transgender women are the victims of 72% of LGBT homicides, and 89% of LGBT homicide victims are people of color.

Statistics also show that violence against transgender people is not limited to physical violence; over half of transgender individuals experience verbal street harassment. A report by SAVE Dade, an LGBT advocacy group, showed that 53% of transgender people surveyed experienced harassment and disrespect in public areas. These numbers show that transgender violence is a serious problem and it’s progressively getting worse.

We have to take a stand now more than ever. The motive in the case of Maya Young may still be unclear, but it is clear that this pattern of transgender violence is not coincidental. As the LGBT community and allies mourn the loss of Young, we need to remind society that no one’s gender is up for debate. An individual is whatever he/she identifies as and it’s no one’s place to object to that, because nobody knows how that individual thinks and feels.

No one deserves to be put through hell, verbally, mentally, or physically for simply being who they are. The transgender community deserves better; it’s our responsibility, as a society, to ensure that they receive better and to bring those who harm transgender individuals to justice. For Maya. For Keisha. For London. For every transgender person who has been victimized in the past, and those who will be victimized throughout this year.

Kathleen is a full-time graduate student studying professional and business communication. She plans initiatives to increase awareness of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other related issues through her university’s anti-sexual violence group, Explorers Against Sexual Violence.