Honoring Za’niyah Williams, A “Beautiful Butterfly” Who “Ripped the Runway”

Za’niyah Williams, a 21-year-old Black transgender woman, was, according to her friend on social media, “a very sweet and smart young lady and always ripped the runway when she dressed up.”

According to TransGriot and Trans Doe Task Force, Williams was found dead on Dec. 20, 2021 after a hit and run car crash in Houston, Texas. Williams’ death is at least the 52nd violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2021. We say “at least” because too often these deaths go unreported — or misreported.

Williams’ cousin also remembered her on social media, writing “You were loved and will always be a part of me! Fly high you beautiful butterfly.”

Za’niyah Williams was a bright soul who at 21-years-old had the world in front of her. It is horrific that her life was taken from her by an unknown assailant who drove off without a care. She was also misgendered in initial reports until she was identified by her mother. We must create a society that respects Black trans women and all transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. Although we honor them in death, they deserve to live, and they deserve justice for the crimes that too often end their lives.”

Tori Cooper, Human Rights Campaign Director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative

In 2021, HRC officially recorded the largest number of fatal trans violence incidents in a year since we began tracking this violence in 2013.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is requesting that those with information call at 713-221-6000 and reference case number #2112-07879.

In an injustice compounding this tragedy, Williams was misgendered in some media and police reports. Anti-transgender stigma is exacerbated by callous or disrespectful treatment by some in the media, law enforcement and elected offices. According to HRC research, it is estimated that approximately three-quarters of all known victims were misgendered by the media and/or by law enforcement. In the pursuit of greater accuracy and respect, HRC offers guidelines for journalists and others who report on transgender people. HRC, Media Matters and the Trans Journalists Association have also partnered on an FAQ for reporters writing about anti-trans violence.

At the state level, transgender and gender non-conforming people in Texas are not explicitly protected from discrimination in employment, housing, education and public spaces. While Texas does include sexual orientation as a protected characteristic in its hate crimes law, it does not expressly include gender identity. While we have recently have seen some gains that support and affirm transgender people, we have also faced anti-LGBTQ attacks at many levels of government this year, with more than 200 anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in state legislatures across the country, more than 90 of which directly target transgender people. In May, 2021 set a record as the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent history.

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.

In order to work towards this goal and combat stigma against transgender and non-binary people, HRC has collaborated with WarnerMedia on a PSA campaign to lift up their voices and stories. Learn more and watch the PSAs here.

HRC has also launched the “Count Me In” campaign to encourage everyone, LGBTQ people and allies, to get loud, get visible and spread awareness on behalf of transgender and non-binary people. The more people who show they care, including allies and trans and non-binary people who speak up for the most marginalized in our community, the more hearts and minds we will change. Learn more and take action at hrc.org/CountMeIn.