A young Black transwoman in the Washington, D.C. area who died because of inadequate medical care. She was injured in a car accident and lay in the street gasping for breath. Emergency services arrived on the scene and firefighter Adrian Williams began treating Tyra until he discovered that she had male genitals. Williams leapt to his feet and backed away. Emergency medical technicians refused to resume treatment on her, opting instead to laugh and make crude jokes. Hunter died in the emergency room later that day.
Hunter's mother, Margie Hunter, sued the city. At one point, as the Washington Blade reported, "At one point, city lawyers argued that Hunter, as a transgendered person, was used to being ridiculed, and the firefighter’s name-calling did not bother Hunter." Adrian Williams was also promoted to sergeant, as the fire department argued that there was conflicting evidence about whether he was the emergency worker in question. Nevertheless, Margie Hunter eventually won $2.9 million from the city and the fire department named their diversity and sensitivity training program after Tyra Hunter.
Sources:
- http://www.glaa.org/archive/1998/margiehunter1211.shtml
- http://gender.org/remember
- http://www.washblade.com/local/000818a.htm