At a Los Angeles protest on Tuesday, Jennifer Thompson held a sign with a list of 20 names of “transgender womyn killed in 2015.”

One speaker at the rally said there had been 19 murders. Another said 17 trans women have been killed this year.  

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The truth is that no one has an accurate count of how many transgender people have been murdered this year. But concerned advocates say they have an epidemic on their hands—one that appears to be getting worse, and disproportionately affecting women of color. Complicating their efforts to tackle the crisis, police and the media face unique challenges in bringing justice for these victims and their families.

A Fusion analysis found at least 20 transgender women who have been killed this year; nine of those investigations have led to murder charges. For comparison, there were 14 trans women…