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We Will Look For You: A Closer Look at the Search for Missing and Murdered Trans and Queer People — Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

Sue Kerr
11 min readMay 29, 2024

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Image modified from a Trans Doe Task Force logo.

Since spring 2013, I have been writing memorials for trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming (TGNC) neighbors whose lives have been lost to violence. The relentless persistence of this violence is akin to a terror campaign.

While I’ve frequently shared the story of how I started doing this work, I’ve less often talked about “the work” in a larger sense, exploring the many actors who volunteer (few are paid that I can see) to search for these neighbors, acknowledge their deaths, and amplify their lives.

I refer to them as ‘the researchers’ and the work they do extends far beyond the scope of my own memorial list.

These good people go looking for the victims of fatal violence, but also missing persons, unclaimed people, unidentified people and more. People who might not be on the radar of the general public.

This Memorial Day weekend, I am launching a new limited series exploring how we honor the lives, acknowledge the deaths, and search for the identities of members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community.

This series will use a Q&A format to hear their stories, learn about the tools and techniques they…

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Sue Kerr
Sue Kerr

Written by Sue Kerr

I blog @ pghlesbian.com & tweet @pghlesbian24 GLAAD named us OUTstanding Blog in 2022 & 2019 National Media Awards Also I ❤soaps, cats, dogs & genealogy She/Her

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