(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago police are still investigating a shooting on the South Side as a possible hate crime after a transgender woman was grazed by a bullet earlier this month.
A support organization for transgender people says incidents like this are on the increase.
"We have seen an uptick in trans violence, and it's in direct correlation with an uptick of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ legislation that's been passed,” says Jae Rice, deputy CEO at Brave Space Alliance, a Black-led, trans-led community organization in Chicago.
Rice says Brave Space Alliance just held its first trans women's support group in-person meeting in three years.
"And that was one of the biggest feedbacks. They're like, ‘We need to protect ourselves and to defend ourselves,” Rice said.
"And we're not necessarily talking about weapons. We're just talking about how to be hyper-vigilant -- how to do a few maneuvers to get out of being grabbed from the back."
Rice says in Chicago this year, at least three trans women have been killed.
In the July 20 shooting, the 28-year-old victim was wounded in the arm after the gunman yelled a homophobic slur in the 200 block of West Root Street, police said. “You’re a disgrace,” the attacker reportedly yelled before firing.
"The other thing we're seeing is Illinois has become a medical refugee state for folks seeking abortions and also gender-affirming care," Rice says. "So, we're seeing a lot more people from outside the Chicagoland area coming to visit our center."
Rice says Brave Space Alliance has had a difficult time keeping its pantry shelves stocked, but it's working with other organizations in Chicago to try to keep up with the demand.
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