May 19, 2017

Equality NC Responds to Passing of Sherrell Faulkner

RALEIGH, N.C. — Equality NC, North Carolina’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) advocacy organization, responded today to the passing of transgender woman of color, Sherrell Faulkner.

The transgender woman from Mecklenburg county died Tuesday from injuries sustained in a brutal attack in November of 2016.

Sherrell's death marks the 11th death of a trans woman in 2017 alone, as well as the high point in a national crisis around the killing of transgender people of color.

"Our hearts are heavy with the news of the death of Sherrell Faulkner. North Carolina's LGBTQ community and everyone at Equality NC's thoughts are with the victim of this tragic violence," said Ames Simmons, Director of Transgender Policy at Equality North Carolina. "We are facing a national epidemic of violence with eleven trans people, many of them transgender people of color, murdered in 2017. We are asking leaders and community members at every level to consider both the overt and underlying reasons for these killings. We must address the root causes of violence against our community, and we cannot rest until the violence stops."

Police are now treating the assault as a homicide and no arrests have been made at this point.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call 704-432-TIPS, Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or visit the Crime Stoppers mobile app website at http://charlottecrimestoppers.com/.