Chicago's mayor has become the subject of ridicule after promoting his transgender violence state of emergency amid a deadly Juneteenth weekend where dozens of people in his city were shot and six were killed."Since declaring a Transfemicide State of Emergency, our administration has strengthened the City’s capacity to support LGBTQ+ Chicagoans," a Sunday X post from Mayor Brandon Johnson said."This framework builds on that work by centering the voices and lived experiences of trans Chicagoans to chart a path toward a safer, more connected city.""Transfemicide" is defined as the "targeted killing of a transgender woman motivated by transphobic and misogynistic hatred." Critics were quick to point out that Johnson appears focused on promoting on Juneteenth weekend the fight against an obscure transgender violence category rather than the killing of black Chicagoans.Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during a press conference on the fifth floor of City Hall in Chicago on Jan.
27, 2026.(Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)CHICAGO'S DEADLY JUNETEENTH WEEKEND LEAVES 7 DEAD AS TRUMP SHAMES DEM GOV FOR INACTIONJohnson's office reupped the state of emergency on Sunday after it was first implemented in 2024.A report on the subject suggests that violence against transgender women, particularly black, indigenous people of color (BIPOC) transgender women, is endemic in Chicago. But the report does not mention how many transgender women have been killed in the city, and admittedly includes suicides in the "transfemicide" category despite the term's definition.
An image at the top of the paper features 21 people and their photos, presumably transgender women who have died in Chicago.Online critics lambasted Johnson for focusing his administration's energy on the transgender issue, and many noted that the timing of the post coincided with a weekend where 39 people were shot and six killed while the city celebrated Juneteenth.FOUR DEAD AND 29 SHOT IN CHICAGO WEEKEND VIOLENCE AS LE...