The deaths of two transgender women in Dallas inspired a rebirth house for others like them.
21Ninety, via Yahoo, reports that Robyn “Pocahontas” Crowe started the Dallas House of Rebirth after Muhlaysia Booker and Chynal Lindsey were killed. The house is a refuge for transgender women and provides useful resources, including housing, case management, and HIV prevention.
The Dallas organization’s website states, “We work to build the safety and self-determination of Black trans communities through advocacy, housing, resource navigation, and intercommunal programs.”
The house carries out its mission “through a coalition of allies, advocates, organizations, donors, and community members who extend time, expertise, and access,” the Dallas House of Rebirth’s site notes.
Transgender women can find community and build lasting relationships at the House of Rebirth. According to its website, the “House of Rebirth is a network of communities, families, and friends, bridging barriers to access alongside Black transgender women and femmes.”
Crowe considered Booker a granddaughter.
In 2019, Booker was found shot and killed on the road, according to The Dallas Morning News. Booker was also reportedly involved in a car accident that later led to the arrest of Edward Dominic Thomas, who was captured on video hitting Booker. The transgender woman suffered injuries from the attack.
The Dallas Morning News interviewed civil rights attorney Lee Merritt. Merritt, according to the paper, felt Booker’s slaying was “doubly concerning for members of minority communities who fear retaliation for reporting crimes against them.”
Merritt added, “There is a legitimate concern that the community doesn’t take seriously.”
That same year Lindsey was found beat and choked to dead in a lake, according to the The Dallas Morning News.
Prosecutor Melody Louis said then, “This case is not about her choice to live as a female. This is about a human life.” Ruben Alvarado was arrested later in connection to Lindsey’s death.
