SAN ANTONIO — D.D. Decor has always had the soul of a woman, but it wasn’t until she was 16 years old that she finally felt free.

“I had started with this orange hair, with this crazy orange crop-top shirt, these denim jean capris,” Decor says. “When I saw myself in the mirror, I was just like honestly happy and felt like myself.”

Decor, 28, has been out protesting nearly every day spreading the message that Black lives matter — especially Black transgender women.

“If you look back at history Black trans women were fighting since before the Stonewall riots. They were fighting for civil rights and LGBT rights,” Decor says.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 27 transgender or gender nonconforming people were killed in 2019, most of whom were Black.

“It’s hard because every day that I walk out of the door, out of my front door, I’m in constant danger,” Decor says.

It’s not only something she deals with in society, but within her community — both the Black and LGBT. It’s something she’s used to and doesn’t let derail her.

D.D. Decor wearing a mask (Jose Arredondo/Spectrum News)

“My own people are downing and discriminating against me and it’s like we are all in this together,” Decor says.

Decor says she will continue to fight for Black lives because she will always be identified by her skin color first.

“I am Black first, and actually I’m a woman second and then a trans woman last nonetheless,” Decor explained while walking through Martin Luther King Park.

This journey hasn’t been easy for Decor, but she wants to reassure to Black trans women that she is fighting to make sure they are included.

“We will not be swept under the rug. We will not be forgotten,” Decor said sitting on a park table. “We have made our staple in history and we are going to continue to fight and grow.”