Store
by Robbie Jackson
San Francisco to many around the world is seen as a safe haven for the LBGTQ+ community, a place to freely be and express oneself. That is, however, not free. Banko Brown’s death over $14 worth of candy is just another ugly reminder of the high price many pay to simply exist and live in the city.
Four minutes outside of the first legally recognized transgender district, a young transgender Black male was murdered for shoplifting. Some of Banko Brown’s loved ones question if the D.A. truly sees the value in the life that was recently taken on April 27.
“This city has failed us to the fullest,” says Kimora Lanique, friend and colleague to Brown.
“The fact that the DA doesn’t want to press charges for what happened to a young Black trans youth is totally unfair,” another friend also expressed at a recent Board of Supervisors meeting.
Brown, 24, was a volunteer for the Young Women’s Freedom Center, a place that advocates for transgender youth and young women. The co-director of the center, Julia Arroyo, surrounded by supporters emotionally spoke at the meeting describing a supportive non-threatening person “who was always providing for others.”
“In the last week of his life, he said: ‘Juju I’m tired. I’m sleeping outside. I’m tired; I’m not myself right now,’” Arroyo said. “And still he brought people into the center.”
Imagine struggling to exist in a safe haven. You can be shot in the back, four minutes away from the only district in the world legally dedicated to you. It can be caught on camera. Calls for justice can ring loudly. Yet no justice is served.
But the better question becomes who should be held responsible for this death? Is it the guard that shot Banko Brown? Or is it the system that contributed to putting Brown in a place of desperation to feed himself?
The cold harsh reality that many Black people face on a daily basis is that living your life as your true self comes at a cost and the price could be as high as your life. To get a better understanding of how a case like Banko Brown has affected the Black transgender community I spoke with Rita “Ri” Wantings, senior transitional age youth services navigator at the SF LGBT Center.
Robbie Jackson: Could you tell me a little bit about the housing team and its main objective?
Rita Wantings: We support young people with finding safe and stable housing. As a coordinated
entry access point, we also help houseless youth navigate the homeless response system using the One System. As the senior transitional age youth (TAY) navigator, my main objective is to connect marginalized youth to housing programs and opportunities to better their adult lives.
Robbie Jackson: Have you seen this case have any impact specifically on the Black trans
community? If yes, in what ways?
Rita Wantings: Definitely. We have such a long way to go. Forty-two percent of Black people living a trans experience have experienced homelessness. Those of us who have worked directly with trans people experiencing homelessness know the heartache of witnessing someone struggle even more while enduring heavy discrimination. The worst part is most people living a trans experience don’t have anyone to turn to. Banko is a victim of a failing system.
Being a Black human living a trans experience pervades virtually every institution and setting, including schools, workplaces, systems of policing, prisons, parole and probation, immigration, health care, and family and juvenile courts.
No one deserves to die because they were hungry. The fight is not over. As a community, we must persist in fighting for human rights.
Robbie Jackson: Do you know of any resources dedicated to bettering the intersectional life
experience of Black trans San Franciscans?
Rita Wantings: Unfortunately, I do not and that is a major issue. We need to do better – the lack of resources for Black people living a trans experience is jarring.
Robbie Jackson: Often when discussing trans rights, I find it to be all opinions. Many people lack the knowledge needed to have the conversation productively. Do you know of any resources the community can check out to better educate themselves on gender identity, as well as trans rights issues and information?
Rita Wantings: The Trevor Project and TRANScend Retreat. TRANScend Retreat is an amazing gathering specifically designed by Black trans folk for trans and genderqueer folk and
offers a wealth of information and connection to community members.
Robbie Jackson: Lastly, I did want to mention that the first in-person TLGBQ+ Career Fair is
coming back next Tuesday! It will be one of the largest TLGBQ career fairs in the country showcasing leading Bay Area employers from a wide range of industries dedicated to providing and learning to provide safer and more supportive workplace environments for the TLGBQ community as well as opportunities for gainful employment.
If you or someone you know is a part of the TLGBQ community is looking for networking and resource opportunities stop by! You can find all the information for it on sfcenter.org.
Robbie Jackson is a student of the San Francisco Bay View’s Community Journalism Class, which is funded by the California State Library.
