HRC Remembers Andrea Doria Dos Passos, Transgender Woman Killed in Miami, Florida

Andrea Doria Dos Passos, a 37-year-old transgender woman, was killed outside of the Miami City Ballet in Miami, Florida on April 23 , 2024. Garcia's death is at least the ninth violent killing of a transgender or gender expansive person in 2024 HRC has identified. We say "at least" because too often these deaths go unreported - or misreported.

Andrea's was experiencing homelessness at the time of her death, and had been dealing with housing insecurity for some time, as reported by her family. She was sleeping near the entrance of the Ballet when a man approached her and violently beat her to death. She was found the next morning by a ballet employee who immediately called the authorities. Her murderer was apprehended shortly afterwards thanks to security footage, and was charged with first-degree murder, and denied bond, at his initial hearing.

On April 25, a vigil for Andrea was held in Miami Beach's Old City Hall, organized by Pridelines, a local LGBTQ+ community center with which Andrea was connected. Noting that she viewed the Pridelines offices as "a safe space," Edward Summers, the executive director of Pridelines, described Andrea as "our whole world, just having fun, enjoying the experience and being her authentic self." Andrea's mom, who was in attendance, expressed gratitude for the community and life Andrea had been able to build before her death, noting "I feel a bit lighter knowing that she had this group of people who loved her and accepted her."

Other family and community members, however, have raised concerns. While the Miami Police Department has stated that "there is no evidence to suggest that Andrea was targeted because of her sexuality or gender," local advocacy groups have called for thorough investigation. The Flamingo Democrats, Miami Dade County's LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus, issued a statement on Instagram "calling on the State's Attorney to add a hate-crime charge" to current charges. Andrea's stepfather further told CBS News Miami he feels "the system let her down. She was a good person."