As marches for black lives continue across the country, members of Black Cuse Pride say it’s important that black transgender women are included.

“Not just my black life matters, but my black, trans, queer life matters,” said Zaire Knight, a member of Black Cuse Pride.

Syracuse’s Black Lives Matter protests highlighted trans people like Tony McDade, killed by police in Tallahassee, Fla.

According to the American Medical Association, fatal violence toward the trans community is on the rise, especially toward black trans women. In 2019, the AMA called anti-transgender violence an epidemic.

"I feel a heavy pain in my heart when I think about how black trans women are treated. How can you march with everybody and still leave these protests for your life and decide to take someone else’s?" said Knight.

Members of Black Cuse Pride say in addition to being left out of the movement they’ve started, transgender people deal with discrimination in every part of their lives.

"You also have to talk about housing discrimination, health care they have issues with getting the right health care, issues with employment," said Rahzie Seals, the founder of Black Cuse Pride.

Trans people also deal with being misgendered as people use their “dead names,” the names they're assigned at birth.

"They’re saying ‘this is who I am,’ and you’re ignoring me. You’re being disrespectful and you’re saying that’s not me," said Seals.

Knight, a trans man, says walking in his truth was difficult in itself.

"It's just been a hard time coming to the position where I expect other people to love and respect who I am, but I also love and respect who I am," said Knight. “We should be past this point. We should be. We’re bigger than this. A lot of time has passed. We have a lot of resources.”

But he’s looking forward to a world free of anti-transgender violence where everyone can live safely and out loud.

"I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything that felt as good as being me,” he said.