Mar’Quis ‘MJ’ Jackson: Black trans man killed in Philadelphia

Mar’Quis ‘MJ’ Jackson has been described as being “full of life and love” after his body was found by police in the US city of Philadelphia.

The Black trans man’s body was found on Wednesday 14 December in the backyard of a home in the Nicetown area. Jackson had turned 33 two days prior and had not been seen since.

A report by Fox 29 says that he was pronounced dead at the scene and that the cause of death had been identified as trauma to the head. The case has been labelled as a homicide and investigations are said to be ongoing.

Reportedly, one person was detained by police before being released due to a lack of sufficient evidence

Sharree Harvey, who has identified themselves as Jackson’s twin, has told Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents (PLC) that Jackson was “full of life and love” and that “would get the party started anywhere.” Sharree helped organise a vigil for Jackson on 18 December, PLC reports.

Sharree has also set up a GoFundMe page to help Jackson’s mother with funeral arrangements. As of Thursday (22 December) the page had surpassed its $2,000 goal.

PLC reports Jackson grew up in South Carolina and was a supporter of many LGBTQ+ organisations including the Transgender Legal Defense Fund.

The outlet also reports Jackson is the 39th trans person to have been killed this year. However, this figure is probably an underestimate as many deaths will go unreported or be incorrectly categorised by authorities. In 2021, 57 trans people died – the most recorded ever.

Anyone with information is being asked to call or text (215) 686-TIPS or submit a tip online.