Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced plans to reinstate the city’s “trans femicide emergency” to highlight violence against transgender women. However, many critics are pointing out that this focus seems misplaced given the numerous mass shootings occurring weekly in the city.
His social media post regarding the initiative faced considerable backlash, with many feeling it odd that the city would spotlight a minority group in the current climate, where the majority of shootings involve people of color.
Johnson’s statement implies that murders of transgender individuals continue to be a critical issue. Reports indicate that between 2016 and 2024, 14 transgender individuals were killed in Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
As of this year, the city has faced 198 murders, predominantly involving men.
“Too many transgender Chicagoans are denied a sense of belonging in their city, facing exclusion and barriers in spaces that should be safe,” Johnson stated on X recently.
He added that since the initial declaration of a transfemicide emergency, efforts have been made to enhance support for LGBTQ+ residents. This new initiative aims to further amplify the voices and experiences of transgender individuals in Chicago.
The term “transfemicide” refers to the targeted killings of transgender women fueled by transphobic and misogynistic hate. The city first declared a state of emergency for this issue in 2024.
Interestingly, during the weekend of Johnson’s takeover, 39 individuals were shot, six of whom died. One incident involved an SUV that drove into a crowd, injuring 12 people aged between 17 and 47.
Public reactions to Johnson’s announcement were largely negative, with commenters accusing him of diverting attention from severe gang violence and numerous shootings in Chicago towards a more niche political stance that doesn’t reflect the current crime statistics.
One user bluntly questioned the mayor’s motives, asking, “What are you thinking? Transfemicide? There’s no such thing.” Another sarcastically suggested that Johnson might be intoxicated for suggesting such a thing.
Several comments raised eyebrows about why the state of emergency didn’t extend to the city’s ongoing mass shooting crisis.
“Why not declare a state of emergency for all murder victims in Chicago? If safeguarding transgender people also protects everyone else, wouldn’t that be worthwhile?” one comment proposed.
So far this year, there has been one reported murder of a transgender woman in Chicago, amidst the 198 homicides, which have mostly involved male victims.
