By Ahmad Goree
Texas Metro News
DESOTO – It was a festive gathering at the DeSoto event center to celebrate “Lay Day,” in honor of the late Muhlaysia Booker, on Friday, May 17, 2024. The official day is May 18; the actual anniversary of the day she was murdered.
Family members, “chosen family members,” friends, and supporters all came together to dance, celebrate and share stories of good moments they had with Muhlaysia, a 22-year-old Black transgender woman, brutally beaten in 2019 in Dallas by a mob of guys. That assault was captured on video and circulated over social media and a month later she was found shot to death.
Last November, her killer was sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison for the crime. “It don’t seem like five years that ‘Lay’ has been gone,” said Stephanie Houston, Muhlaysia’s mother, “Somebody that got a big spirit and a personality like that, it’s just like she’s still here.”
The celebration also included praise dancing, featuring Makirah Wilkerson, and a presentation from the Muhlaysia Booker Foundation.
Houston started the Foundation in 2019 to provide resources to transgender women and their families. Last year, Foundation representatives traveled to Washington, DC to meet with leaders at the White House, Congress, Department of Justice, and other agencies and groups to bring awareness to the Foundation and Muhlaysia’s story.
According to the Trans Murder Monitoring research project, hundreds of transgenders and gender reversed are murdered annually, although experts believe the numbers are considerably higher except that many attacks are underreported.
Equally disturbing, the report noted that most victims were Black and trans women of color; and Texas led the nation in murders of transgender people.
It has been a long, emotional five years since Muhlaysia’s murder in Far East Dallas.
This year those who knew her spent more time talking about her beautiful personality and spirit.
Houston encouraged attendees to share their Muhlaysia stories.
“I want these to be happy stories and good times you had with my baby,” she said.
Of those who shared were members of Muhlaysia’s “chosen family.”
She not only had her mother and sisters, but she also had TJ and Jordan, who were Muhlaysia’s chosen parents.
“We had so many good times,” said TJ, Muhlaysia’s chosen dad. “She was my child and I miss her.”
Chosen families are a big part of the Black LGBTQ community who can provide a sense of friendship and mentorship or fill a gap when there may be rejection from their biological family members.
