Honoring Cameron “Cam” Thompson, Young Black Trans Teen Killed In Alabama

by Jose Soto

Cameron Thompson, who also went by “Cam,” was an 18-year-old Black teenage transgender girl from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, who had a “contagious smile,” and love for beauty and fashion. Cameron had just completed a training program at Job Corps, and had also recently started a new job to save up money in order to buy herself a car and enroll in college. 

Tragically, Cameron was shot and killed in Tuscaloosa on December 16, 2024. Her death marks at least the 32nd trans or gender-expansive person killed in the United States in 2024, and the second killed in Alabama that same year.  Both victims were Black transgender teenage girls, and both were killed with a gun. 

Cameron’s death is a heartbreaking loss, not just for her family or Alabamians but for the entire transgender community across the nation. Her life mattered—her dreams and light were taken far too soon. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the epidemic of violence faced by transgender people, particularly people of color. We must honor Cameron’s memory with action, fighting for justice, safety, and the dignity every transgender person deserves.”

Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey-, Human Rights Campaign Alabama State Director

A juvenile suspect has been arrested and charged with Cameron’s murder. A GoFundMe page was set up to help with her funeral expenses and support Cameron’s family. Her family believes her death was a hate crime motivated by her gender identity. Police have noted that she knew her alleged killer, and the two had argued recently on social media about a post Cam made regarding her killer’s sexual orientation. 


More than 25,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm each year, which equates to almost 70 cases a day, according to a 2023 report from Everytown for Gun Safety in partnership with HRC and The Equality Federation Support Fund, “Remembering and Honoring Pulse: Anti-LGBTQ Bias and Guns Are Taking Lives of Countless LGBTQ People.” The report also notes a marked increase in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, especially against transgender people. In 2023, the most recent year for which data is available, the FBI found that more than 1 in 5 hate crimes were motivated by anti-LGBTQ+ bias, and saw a 16% jump in attacks based on gender identity from the year before.

At the state level, transgender and gender non-conforming people in Alabama are not explicitly protected from discrimination in employment, housing, education and public spaces.  Though we have recently seen some political gains that support and affirm transgender people, we have also faced unprecedented anti-LGBTQ+ attacks in the states.

We must demand better from our elected officials and reject harmful anti-transgender legislation at the local, state and federal levels, while also considering every possible way to make ending this violence a reality. It is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, especially Black transgender women. The intersections of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia and homophobia conspire to deprive them of necessities to live and thrive, so we must all work together to cultivate acceptance, reject hate and end stigma for everyone in the trans and gender non-conforming community.

More resources:

  • Learn more about the fatal violence cases that HRC is tracking where details are unclear. You may find a list of these cases here.
  • Join HRC's Count Me In campaign to take action for transgender and non-binary people.
  • Read these guidelines and this FAQ for journalists to ensure greater accuracy and respect in reporting.

Learn about how transgender and non-binary people are combating transphobia, stigma and anti-trans violence through our Celebrating Changemakers series.

Topics:
Transgender