SC Equality has learned of yet another murder of a member of the LGBTQ community.  Pebble LaDime “Dime” Doe, a black transgender woman was murdered in Allendale County, South Carolina on August 4, 2019. Dime’s death makes her the second black trans woman to be murdered in as many weeks in South Carolina.

The fourth known black trans woman to have been killed in S.C. since 2018.

We are in an absolute state of emergency for black transgender women.

Dime’s mother is discouraged that none of the media seemed to be aware of her daughter’s death. She has asked us to use our resources to bring attention to Dime’s murder in hopes that someone might come forward offering tips to investigators and that there might be justice for Dime.

While the motives of Dime’s murder aren’t yet known, we do know that often, the crimes against trans women of color are fueled by anti-LGBTQ prejudice, racism and misogyny. Black trans women live at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, are too often treated as disposable, and are experiencing epidemic levels of violence. We are at a crisis point that demands the nation’s attention and lawmakers in Columbia. At this moment, there is no sense of peace or security for our transgender community— and there won’t be until their lives are truly respected and valued by society.

We are angry, heartbroken, and exhausted by the news of another life taken from our community. Violence against Black trans women is a crisis, and has been for a long time – and nothing seems to change. In a recent released Grapevine Report it shows just how widely violence pervades our lives in the South. 58% of transgender women surveyed reported experiencing high levels of violence by strangers.

SC Equality, along with AFFA (The Alliance for Full Acceptance) are calling out for justice for Dime and for all of the black trans women who are known to have been killed in South Carolina since 2018: Sasha Wall, Regina Denise Brown, Denali Berries Stuckey, and LaDime Doe.

Action Items:

• Please help us amplify this story on your social media
• If you have any information that pertains to this case that would be helpful to law enforcement in their investigation, please contact SLED at 1-888-CRIME-SC.