Friends mourn nonbinary artist killed in New Orleans hit-and-run

Author: John Russell

A New Orleans DJ and tattoo artist named YOKO died last month after being struck by a driver who fled the scene. YOKO’s name was an acronym for “YOUONLYKNOWONE,” according to the artist’s personal website.

One friend remembered YOKO as “an exceptional, joyful, absurdly talented, and extremely loving and gentle human.”

“There are so many friends grieving,” they told WVUE.

“Their style is very unique. It’s one-of-a-kind, all-custom art,” said Salvador Rodriguez, owner of Slangin Dat Ink, a tattoo shop where YOKO worked.

Rodriguez told WWL-TV that the shop would continue to offer tattoos of YOKO’s artwork, with proceeds going to YOKO’s mother.

Besides their work as a tattoo artist, YOKO was also a DJ and electronic music producer, working under the name Black Materia. They planned to debut a new “solo noise project” at the Mudlark Public Theatre on September 29.

While authorities have not indicated that YOKO’s death was anything other than an accident, an HRC press release noted it was “at least the 18th violent killing of a transgender or gender non-conforming person in 2023.”

Actual Story on LGBTQ Nation
Author: John Russell