A beautiful soul and ‘bright spot’
Slain trans gender woman remembered amid disturbing trend of attacks on the community
Debra Crump felt like her awareness and compassion were heightened after her niece, a beautiful soul with a big family, opened her eyes to the dangers faced by Black transgender women.
But when Asia Jynaé Harmason-Foster was shot and killed in Houston last month, it was the realization of Crump’s worst fear.
“To get the phone call that it happened to your family member — it’s life-changing,” Crump said.
Family and friends gathered Saturday to remember and mourn the life of the 22-year-old transgender woman and community advocate who was shot and killed in west Houston.
People wept, hugged and bowed their heads at the noon funeral at Kindred, a Lutheran church in Montrose, as they commemorated the life of a strong, confident and passionate young woman.
“She was just full of life,” said Britt Perez, who knew Foster through an LGBTQ organization called Montrose Grace Place. “She wanted to help everybody.”
Foster, born and raised in
Houston, was found around 10:20 p.m. Nov. 20, in the roadway on the 3400 block of East Greenridge Drive with at least one gunshot wound. Detectives continue to investigate the case, but as of Saturday, it remained unclear what led to Foster’s death and who was responsible.
Authorities have not provided an official cause of death.
Foster is the first transgender woman killed this year in Houston, and the 38th transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming person killed this year in the U.S., according to the Montrose Center.
Last year in Houston, 22-yearold Tracy Williams — also a Black transgender woman involved at Montrose Grace Place — was stabbed to death. Authorities have charged her boyfriend with murder.
On Saturday, soft piano music played while Perez and Brandon Williams hugged in front of the open casket and shed tears for their friend. Several dozen people sat in socially-distanced chairs beneath the arched wooden ceiling. Some family members wore red shirts with Foster’s name beneath the words: “Say her name.”
During the service, a pastor read an excerpt from Alice Walker’s poem, “Hope is a Woman Who Has Lost Her Fear,” and community leader Dee Dee Watters presented Foster’s family with a silver crown to honor the young woman. Watters sang a Christian hymn while family members processed down the center aisle.
Foster attended Monday night gatherings at Montrose Grace Place alongside other LGBTQ youth, said Perez, who serves on the board. The organization hosted a vigil for Foster shortly after her death.
Williams said he used to take long road trips with Foster, his best friend, who loved to travel. The two drove to Atlanta one time, and on another occasion went to Dallas where they rode electric scooters. Foster was passionate about fine cars, computers, volunteering and advocating for transgender rights, her family said.
Members of the transgender and LGBTQ community attended the funeral to show support.
“We read about these murders of Black transgender women all the time, but when it happens in our own city, it shakes you to your core,” said Eric Edward Schell.
Statistics are lacking, but anecdotally, it is clear that Black transgender women are killed at disproportionately high rates, said Sgt. Alexandra Magnan of the Houston Police Department. Magnan is the department’s former LGBTQ liaison — a role now filled by senior police officer Josephine Jones.
Each Houston police officer is trained in interacting with the LGBTQ community, Magnan said. Historic distrust and bad experiences have created some division between police and thecommunity, she said.
On Saturday, Magnan attended Foster’s funeral and handed out blue-and-pink ribbons representing transgender pride to each person who walked through the door.
“All of it is about rebuilding trust, making sure they know we take these crimes seriously,” she said. “It’s very difficult for them to trust the police. We just have to show up and be as helpful as we can.”
Foster leaves behind a large family, including her parents, grandparents, a 15-year-old sister, 19-year-old brother, cousins, aunts, uncles, other relatives and friends.
Crump, Foster’s aunt, said her niece was a “bright spot” and a beautiful spirit who was always true to herself and loved to sing and laugh.
Now, the family is hoping for answers and justice.
“She definitely has a family that loved her,” Crump said. “She didn’t deserve this — no one does.”