April 24, 2019
Contact: Monica Roberts BTAC Media Chair 346-310-0824
Trenton Johnson BTMI President
855-255-8636 Ext 11
media@blacktransmen.org
Black Trans Advocacy Coalition (BTAC) and Black Transmen Inc.(BTMI) once again has to raise its collective voice to condemn another attack upon a Black trans Texan, this time in Killeen, TX .
On April 19 Keir Rice was attacked by Garfield David Hicks, the owner of the barbershop when he worked with a child client in his chair. He suffered a concussion, bruised ribs and a damaged shoulder.
Rice was also quoted in a KWTX-TV news report that Hicks discriminated against TBLGQ customers, misgendered and deadnamed him repeatedly, and touched him inappropriately.
This is unacceptable on multiple levels. We also condemn what happened to Mr. Rice in the strongest possible terms would like to see justice served in this case.
If Mr Rice is able to do so, we would love to extend an invitation for him to join us at the Black Trans Advocacy Conference currently talking place in Dallas until April 28.
This transphobic attack upon Mr Rice sadly is more concrete evidence it is past time for the Lone Star State to add Texas transgender people to the James Byrd Hate Crimes Law.
These attacks are why BTAC enthusiastically supports Rep. Garnet Coleman's HB 1513 that would add gender identity to that existing law.
If there is any community that we Black trans people should feel safe in, it should be the African American one. Texas Black trans people in the last ten days have unfortunately received the message with the assaults on Mulaysia Booker and now Keir Rice that we are hated by our own people.
That needs to change, starting today.
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