The Killing of Trans Man Lucas RedBeard Knapp in Rural New Mexico Teaches Us About Visibility

>There’s a unique response to Lucas’ murder – none of the local media outlets covering the crime have used Lucas’ name or any identity. Their focus has been on the murderers. I’ve been doing this for over 13 years and I’ve not encountered this before. Typically, outlets will say “the victim” or “the male victim” or “a local man was killed yesterday.” I’ve certainly encountered a lot of deadnaming and misgendering.

>But if you read through the coverage, you’ll see almost no reference to Lucas at all. The outlets mention the suspects first on the run, then captured. No mention of the crime or the victim, not even in broad strokes.