#SayHerName: Transgender Woman Bee Love Slater Found Burned To Death In Car In Florida
Rest in peace, Bee Love.
Facebook It's more important now than ever before to shed light on the number of crimes committed against transgendered people, and more specifically, against QTPOC (Queer/Trans Persons Of Color). This writer is committed to honoring this community and not being afraid to #SayHerName — so who is Bee Love Slater, and why must we #SayHerName?
Let's learn more about this beautiful woman, taken from us too soon.
1. She was found in Florida.
According to WFMY-TV, Bee Love Slater was found burned to death in a car in Clewison, Florida. It's a small town on Florida's east coast, with a population of about 8,000. It's located on the south bank of Lake Okeechobee.
2. Bee Love Slater could only be identified by her dental records.
"The police found the body in an abandoned vehicle in Clewiston last week. Authorities were reportedly only able to identify the victim as Bee Love Slater after searching through dental records," reported The Hill.
3. She's the eighteenth transgendered person to be murdered this year.
According to The New York Times, Bee Love Slater is the 18th transgendered person to be murdered this year. This has led the Human Rights Campaign to declare this a genuine human rights issue in the United States today.
4. But Florida authorities don't think Bee Love Slater's death is a hate crime.
"There were some Facebook posts that this person needs to die,” Hendry County Sheriff Steve Whidden told the Times. However, authorities are not yet considering Slater’s death a hate crime. “We don’t have anything that would show that it’s a hate crime right now,” Sheriff Whidden said. “We possibly have a motive, but I can’t say what that is at this time," reported The Cut.
5. Her friends think otherwise.
According to CBS News, Bee Love Slater was getting death threats on Facebook. Her friends say that because they live in a small town in the deep south, they were subjected to more discrimination and attacks than they would be anywhere else.
6. Fortunately, the police are still investigating the murder of Bee Love Slater.
"Hendry County investigators said as of now the investigation into Slater's death is ongoing. They cannot title it a hate crime until a clear motive has been established," reported Vibe Magazine.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.