June 1, 2015 not only marked the dawn of a new month but pronounced the transition of former Olympic athlete, Bruce Jenner, from male to female. An overwhelming majority of national media networks displayed their admiration and support for the debut of Caitlyn Jenner, reminiscent of turning points in American society in which societal norms were slightly distorted. Indeed, trans gender people of all colors and nationalities are not the product of a new phenomenon. In fact, the first American to undergo a sex change from male to female was Christine Jorgensen in 1952 (N.Y. Times). In 1966, American physician- Harry Benjamin- published a book entitled The Transsexual Phenomenon chronicling extensive research on trans people of that period and included a successful way in which to conduct a sex change.

During the very same year, the Civil Rights Movement undergoes a metamorphosis in the aftermath of Malcolm X’s assassination, The Black Panther Party is founded, and Constance Baker Motley becomes the first Black woman appointed to federal judge. Commensurate with other triumphs of The Black community in the mid 60s, Avon Wilson became the first Black Trans person to undergo a sex change at the internationally revered institution, Johns Hopkins University. This story did not garner national media attention as compared to Jorgensen’s transition that occurred 14 years earlier. The story did, however, appear in Black media publications including Jet Magazine and Sepia Magazine.

Almost 50 years later, the disparity between media coverage of white trans women and black trans women is evident. A year prior to Jenner’s transition, Orange is the New Black actress and black trans female, Laverne Cox, appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. The article, though featured in one of America’s oldest publications, did not proverbially “break the internet” or even begin a national conversation on gender identity as Caitlyn Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover story did. In fact, Time Magazine did not acknowledge the distinct discrimination faced by trans people of color which is not only imposed on them due to gender nonconformity, but due to race as well. Instead, the transgender community was presented as homogenous as the writer attempted to paint the plight of all trans people with broad strokes.

According to The National Trans Gender Discrimination Survey administered in 2012, black trans individuals experience the most occurrences of overt and systemic discrimination across all races. Not only is there a stigma attached to one’s race, but an array of other issues also stem from the general public’s lack of understanding regarding gender identity. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reported that an overwhelming majority of hate-related homicide victims of 2013 were black and 67% of those victims were trans women of color. Yet, mainstream media outlets fail to report these incidents and the issues plaguing the black trans community remains unnoticed.

Throughout history, we’ve witnessed shifts in public opinion that often coincided with media coverage. One of the most recent examples of this is the gradual change in Americans’ opinion in respect to gay marriage. Compared to today’s 39%, 57% of Americans opposed marriage equality in 2001. Second to white evangelical protestants, black protestants show the lowest percentage of favor towards gay marriage since 2001. Evidently, there is a divide between the black population in America as a whole and the LGBTQ community. There is also a gaping divide between black trans people’s lives and media. Even as media coverage continues to expand, now encompassing issues that were once considered taboo, the lack of mainstream media coverage on this subject mirrors the disparities echoing from black communities across the country. If blacks lives truly matter indeed, we must not forget or diminish the lives of ANY black individual.