In summer 2013, the brutal beating death of young Harlem transgender woman Islan Nettles was but one of an alarming number of such assaults on trans women of color, often fatal, throughout the U.S. Half of all assaults on LGBTQ people in the U.S. are against trans women of color. On the bright side, this community is fighting back, demanding respect, legal rights and greater accountability from law enforcement for their safety. This special report I did for OUT magazine includes the impassioned voices of prominent transwomen Laverne Cox (from the TV show “Orange is the New Black”) and Janet Mock, author of Redefining Realness.