Coverage of Gabby Petito’s death highlights deep-seated beliefs about gender, race, patriarchy and who deserves protection

Gabby Petito was eulogized last week, her father celebrating the adventurous spirit who took her final road trip. To the many people who followed her story in the news, she was Gabby. Like a daughter, a sister, a niece. Someone who should be cared for.

Petito was also white, young, blond, pretty and valued by society for everything that that implies, say advocates for missing women of color who watched conflicted as her story spread from social media to major newscasts. While the 22-year-old’s death is helping spotlight other missing person cases, they say being white is a social currency that women of color don’t have, which is painfully clear when they disappear.