Iyanna Dior Video: Details About Black Trans Woman Beaten By Mob In Minnesota
Black lives matter.
Youtube Trigger warning: graphic violence.
Tensions in the United States are at an all-time high, and — thankfully — it seems like the vast majority of Americans are getting behind the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
However, the emergence of a viral video showing a black trans woman getting savagely beaten by about 30 or so self-identified cis-heterosexual men has not only left people horrified, but has prompted activists to make clear:all Black lives — including those of trans Black women — matter. If your activism isn't intersectional activism, it's not activism.
Who is Iyanna Dior?
She lives in Minneapolis.
Iyanna Dior is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This is an interesting point to note because this has been the nexus of the George Floyd murder. As a result of Floyd's murder, protests — and, in some places, riots — have been raging for more than a week.
The incident reportedly happened after a 'fender bender.'
Details are still emerging about this incident. However, as of initial press time, on June 1, 2020, a minor "fender bender" happened in Minneapolis. Shortly thereafter, Dior walked into an unidentified store. There, she was savagely beaten by 30 or so self-identified "cisgender-heterosexual" men. As of initial press time, it's unclear how Dior was involved in the "fender bender," and it's unclear how the men who were beating her were involved in the fender bender as well.
Dior's on-camera beating has gone viral.
Trigger warning: graphic violence.
Based on what was shared on Dior's Facebook page, it appears a man named Elordo Guzman was live on the scene and was the first to share the video of Dior's on-camera beating that has since made its way acround the Internet. However, as of this writing, we have no further details, though we will keep you updated on any details that emerge. You can check out the video below. And, again, please be warned that there is graphic violence in the video.
Dior subsequently went on Facebook to update her followers about her condition.
In subsequent videos and status updates, Dior made clear that she was "okay" after the beating. However, she said that she "needed time to process" everything that was going on and that she appreciated the support. She also posted a link to her CashApp, and according to one report, she'd been flooded with donations ever since the incident happened. Her Cash app handle is $NajaBabiie for those who want to donate.
No arrests have yet been made in Dior's attack.
According to the same report, there have been no arrests made in the attack on Dior. However, Abounding Prosperity — a Dallas-based non-profit organization with a focus on the Black LGBTQIA community — issued a statement in support of Dior, and called for community leaders to make sure that all black lives mattered.
"We at Abounding Prosperity, Inc. are deeply saddened, angered and disgusted at the images in the recent video of another Black transgender woman being brutally attacked by a mob of Black men and women at a convenience store in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is not acceptable for groups of people to stand by and watch and record and individual being attacked and beaten by a group of people and do nothing. If we truly want to enact change, then that change must start within our own community towards each other. If we want Black Lives to Matter, then All Black Lives Must Matter, including Black Trans Lives Matter," the organization said in a press release.
Iyanna Dior's attack has prompted a Twitter trending topic on the matter.
Once Dior's attack became public on social media, there was an outcry on Twitter. In fact, many celebrities — including Janet Mock, Fucci, and Jameela Jamil shared tweets in solidarity with the young trans black woman.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.