2018 Obituaries

Milton Edgerton 1921-2018. Surgeon, co-founder of GIC at Johns Hopkins. Died age 96.

Peter Farrer (1926 – 2017) tax inspector, trans historian, Liverpool. Died age 90.

Sue-Ellen Jacobs (1936-2017) co-ed Two-Spirit People 1997.


Lyndsay Kemp (1938-2018) known for his radical drag performances in the 1970s based on Notre Dame des Fleurs and Salome. Mentor to early David Bowie. Died age 80.

Roberta Perkins (1940 – 2018) sociologist, activist in Sydney, NSW. Died age 78.

Julia Yasuda (1943-2018) set theorist, performer, one of the original members of Anthony and the Johnsons.  Died age 75, at a time of her own choosing after a long struggle with chronic pain and increasing immobility.

Brandy Alexander (1946 – 2016) Charlotte, NC, drag performer since 1964. Featured in a mural. Died age 70 from cancer.

João W Nery (1950 – 2018) psychologist, writer in Sao Paulo. First surgical trans man in Brazil. 4 wives, 2 autobiographies. Dies age 68 after struggle against cancer.

Boom Boom Latour (1955 – 2016) Charlotte, NC, drag performer for 5 decades. Died age 63 after a major heart attack.

Joseph Cluse (1954 - 2018) Two husbands. With the second she was a Christian wife and mother, but concluded that she was outside God’s will. Reverted and became a pastor with Crossover and Exodus. Died age 64.

Tracy Lynn Garner (1960 – 2018) Convicted of killing by buttocks injection. Died in prison age 58 after serving less than three years.

Terri Bruce (1963 – 2018) Hermosa, SD. Archeologist. In 2017 the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on Bruce's behalf against the state of South Dakota for refusing to cover medical care for transgender people. Died age 55.

Michael Berke (1964 – 2018) roadie, reverted to male after becoming involved with the Calvary Chapel mega church in Fort Lauderdale. Featured in an MSNBC documentary in 2008. Died by suicide.

Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien (1975 – 2018) 42, launched New England Trans Pride and Miss Trans New England pageant. Murdered by her husband Mark Steele-Knudslien.

Lara Kruger (1986 – 2018) South African DJ and radio personality, after a period of depression.

Dudu dos Santos (1991 – 2018) Brazilian military policeman, abducted and murdered.

Casey Hoke (1997 – 2018). Artist and trans activist, California, died at age 21.

Murder Count

Murders in the 12 months up to the Transgender Day of Remembrance. GayStarNews. Transrespect.
There were 369 recorded deaths this last year – plus many more nor reported, especially in countries were transgender is not recognized. This is a serious jump from the 270 in 2017.


As usual the most murders were recorded in Brazil (167), Mexico (71), the United States (28), and Colombia (21). The situation in Brazil is likely to get much worse after the new president and self-declared homophobe, Jair Bolsonaro, takes over. Already Brazil has more murders of trans persons than all the rest of the world together.