By Jennifer Lopez Suspects | Credit: DCPI On January 8th, 2014 a 30 year old transwoman whom wishes to remain anonymous for now, went to the Neptune Diner in Astoria Queens, New York City to eat an early morning meal with a friend. Her friend, a 32 year old cisgender man, went to the restroom. According to Deputy Inspector Kevin Maloney of the 114th Precinct in NYC that is when three other patrons in the diner… Read more.
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Tag: hate crimes
Tag: hate crimes
A Community of the Heart: Intersectional feminist speech from San Antonio TDOR
November 23, 2013 · Cristan Williams
What follows is an amazing speech given by Graciela Sanchez on realizing liberation through building a "community of the heart." Sanchez, a self-identified lesbian Latina queer spoke on the intersections of oppression and of social justice. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/121478145" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /] The last page of the Houston and San Antonio TDOR booklet This speech was taped by the TransAdvocate at the San Antonio, Texas Trans Day of Remembrance on November 21, 2013, held in the Metropolitan Community… Read more.
Media from protesting the Pacific Justice Institute’s hate
November 21, 2013 · Cristan Williams
The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is the ex-gay group who recently bullied a Colorado trans kid to the brink of suicide. At the same time, PJI was working to strip protections for all trans children in California. The PJI-backed coalition worked tirelessly to paint trans children as threats, sexual deviants an unstable. Their campaign of lies, fraud and intimidation produced over 600,000 signatures in support of discrimination against trans children. Unsurprisingly, California's school district has seen a recent uptick of anti-trans crimes targeting… Read more.
Another California trans student attacked, trans community responds: #JD4PJI
November 16, 2013 · Cristan Williams
Just a week after the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) backed coalition turned in over 600,000 signatures to repeal protections for trans children in California, a trans student was caught on tape fighting for her life as a group of bullies attacked her. PJI is the ex-gay organization that recently bullied a Colorado trans kid to the brink of suicide. The attack comes days after a California genderqueer student was set on fire for wearing a skirt. School officials say that… Read more.
California school students & faculty support genderqueer student set on fire & who continues to be misgendered in the press
November 10, 2013 · Cristan Williams
Sasha Fleischman, a genderqueer senior at Colorado's Maybeck High School, fell asleep in the rear of a bus heading for East Oakland. Sasha's skirt was set on fire by a 16 year old named Richard Thomas, resulting in 3rd-degree burns. Sasha was hospitalized and must have skin grafts. Sasha will remain hospitalized for several weeks, but should be home for Thanksgiving. "Sasha is getting good care, and has a good prognosis for recovery," Trevor… Read more.
‘Hate group’ supporters under police surveillance for bullying?
October 25, 2013 · Cristan Williams
The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) is the ex-gay organization that stirred up the right-wing word by claiming that a trans kid (who I will refer to as Jane Doe, for reasons of safety) in Colorado was harassing cisgender girls in the restrooms. Right wing media outlets jumped at the story without conducting any fact checking, prompting members of the right wing community to call for the death of the trans kid. Yesterday, the TransAdvocate learned that Jane Doe is under suicide watch. Also, the PJI just issued… Read more.
Trans Radio Theater: Poe Comedy With A Purpose
August 31, 2013 · Cristan Williams
From the Houston trans community comes this comedy gem: [soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/27466208" params="" width=" 100%" height="166" iframe="true" /] A poe is someone who parodies fundamentalism in such a way that it is ridiculous yet simultaneously difficult to tell if the media is real or a parody. The "radio show" mixes absurd reality with absurd comedy to make a deadly serious point. Enjoy! Tip this TransAdvocate! Writers for the TransAdvocate work hard to bring you news and… Read more.
A TERF hate-tracking site recently raised a warning that Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) leaders are attempting to appropriate the Trans Day of Remembrance: Cathy Brennan, contributor to the Radfem2013 conference, has sunk to yet a new low. She is now trying to exploit the death of our sisters (Transgender Day of Remembrance – TDOR) to further her justification of transphobia. She wants us all to believe that it isn’t transphobia that kills us, it is male violence. While it is true that the majority of… Read more.
I'm beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of the near genocidal levels of anti-trans violence that are taking away far too many under 30 transwomen of color before they've had a chance to live their lives. We are not only losing them, but their potential contributions and talents toward building all the communities we intersect and interact with. TransGriot April 5, 2013 29 year old Kelly Young, 30 year old Ashley Sinclair and 20 year old Ce Ce Acoff until this… Read more.
Revictimized In Death
April 30, 2013 · Autumn Sandeen
Dehumanization of murdered trans women seems to be the norm these days. No matter how many times GLAAD and trans activists reach out to teach journalists how not to revictimize murdered trans women -- especially trans women of color -- there always seems to be a "next time." A new example of a "next time" is found in John Caniglia's two articles for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, entitled Oddly dressed body found in Olmsted Township pond identified and Brutal slaying… Read more.
What Hate Looks Like
April 29, 2013 · Cristan Williams
15-year-old Raymond Buys shortly before his death Raymond Buys was sent to an infamous right-wing training camp for effeminate boys. "I sent my son on this course to make him a better man, to give him a better future..." said Buys' mother, Wilma Buys. Buys in camp uniforms Upon admission to the hospital, Buys had had brain damage, cigarette burns all over his body, a broken arm, numerous bruises and resembled Nazi concentration camp survivor. He died… Read more.
The G & The L Rises, T Sinks And Fails, And All Is AOK? BS!
July 13, 2009 · mkailey
"He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it." — Martin Luther King Jr. Well it didn't take long for responses to my last blog. One person wrote me privately saying she was disappointed I didn't "understand" how "serious" the Pam's House Blend controversy was and that I should've "come down harder" on her and Autumn Sandeen for these bannings or muzzlings they enacted on their trans "members and bloggers." Then on my posting I had… Read more.
Seeking Justice When The Empire (State) Strikes Black (Trans)
July 13, 2009 · mkailey
"Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God. I don't know but today just seems kinda odd.... Plus nobody I know got killed in South Central L.A. ... Today was a good day." – It Was A Good Day, Ice Cube As I intermittently work on this blog the day before the trial begins for the murder of Lateisha Green (fka: Moses Cannon), I'm thankful for a few things. First of all, the District Attorneys appear to be taking… Read more.
Hate Crime Blood Lust
April 20, 2009 · Marti Abernathey
To those that use Angie Zapata's death as a way to "raise" your profile by covering the trial, shame on you. I have to agree with Brielle over at Women In Love. "Anyone who presents a rational ideology to empower the lgbt as a whole is basically ignored. People want blood. It’s the only thing that really draws their attention. We want liberation! we want free speech! (Please coat with blood first though, thanks)The dozens of sites that routinely re-post… Read more.
Transsexuals Not Covered In Hate Crimes Bill
April 6, 2009 · Marti Abernathey
Back on Feburary 25, 2009 Kathy Padilla wrote a post over at Pam's House Blend titled "Hate Crimes & ENDA: Bad Bills Come and Bad Bills Go". When it came out I really thought it would be one of those explosive posts that rocked the community down to the bone. She said: "The new definitions can generally be said to cover gender expression but not gender identity. Which in the real world would present the likelihood that gender variant gay,… Read more.
Counting the Cost
February 27, 2008 · Marti Abernathey
If my previous post seemed a little scattered and emotional, there's a reason for it. The first trans community function I ever attended was a TDoR function, as was the first event I ever MCed outside a support group. I've been sensitive to transphobic violence at every step, and my own transition began with violence. But seeing the settings for it shift to schools was not something I was prepared for. At or around November 20th of every year, the transgender community commemorates a day of remembrance (TDoR) for transgender folk who have died as a result of transphobic or homophobic violence. Since that memorial, fifteen more homicides involving transgender victims have occurred: Read more.
“Sometimes, We Just Have to Pay Full Price.”
February 21, 2008 · Marti Abernathey
My partner is a nut about sales. If it isn't on sale, it doesn't get purchased. So sometimes, when we run out of a breakfast staple and such, I have to remind her of that basic fact of life: "sometimes, we just have to pay full price." And then, the phrase comes back to haunt me. This usually happens around the evenings, these days. She's been talking about returning to work in a capacity which would take her out to job sites with contractors and crew, some of whom could know from her previous 20 years of work in that trade that she is trans. And I've been having troubling dreams about both that and my own job, where I've been back for several months with no trouble beyond the occasional rude exchange, and now all of a sudden I'm dreaming repetitively about getting shot in the head. The latter is not something I'm actually afraid of during the light of day, so I'm wondering what is bringing this all on. Am I sensing something nasty coming, or am I just reading the trans-related news way too much? And that's when that dirty little voice says to me, "sometimes, we just have to pay full price." And that's when I start thinking about how far we've come... or haven't as the case may be. The first GRS surgeries were performed in the 1940s, and with the rise of Nazi Germany and its pogroms, the invention of "stealth" soon followed. We've been in hiding ever since. Don't get me wrong -- I'm on record as defending a woman's and man's right to go stealth if they feel it's best for them. We earn that. But the wholesale movement toward stealth -- the lack of barely anybody to stay behind and educate the masses -- has meant that we've only made small strides during that time. The first known piece of trans-inclusive legislation didn't happen until 1993, and most of those strides have been since then. And without adult transfolk there to lay that groundwork, a crisis has developed. Because now it is children on the front lines. Read more.
Remembering Our Dead, Echos From Our Fallen Sisters
February 17, 2008 · Marti Abernathey
I was looking at videos for my YouTube post and found this video titled "Twin Boys Living As Girls". It was taped in the early nineties, and is from the Jenny Jones Show. I sat their thinking this was just another trans segment on talk TV. It is not. When I realized who these two girls were, a sat here trembling, on the verge of tears. If you are not aware after watching the video, of just who these young… Read more.
Remembering Tom Lantos
February 16, 2008 · Marti Abernathey
“Love cannot be defeated.” as said to rock vocalist, Bono by Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) The political group I belong to – the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) – noted the passing of longtime Rep. Tom Lantos in a press release on Monday from complications due to esophageal cancer. Chances are, most of the transgender community was unfamiliar with congressman Lantos – but they should’ve been. Our press release characterized him as a “hero for the oppressed and voiceless of the world” and a hero specifically for the transgender community. Those superlatives were not merely rhetoric. The San Francisco-area congressman was honored in a memorial service on Capitol Hill yesterday, with an emotional farewell that encompassed both conservatives and liberals, from the U.S. Sec. Of State, Condolleeza Rice, to Sec. Gen. Of the United Nations, Ban-Ki Moon to ambassador of goodwill, rock group vocalist, Bono (Paul Hewson) of U2. Holocaust Survivor, Death Camp Escapee, a Penniless Émigré from Hungary to the United States, Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, champion for human rights causes around the world. "Tom Lantos was a true American hero. He was the embodiment of what it meant to have one's freedom denied and then to find it and to insist that America stand for spreading freedom and prosperity to others," — Sec. Of State Condolleeza Rice. Indeed I was blessed to have had the opportunity to lobby Lantos’ office on a couple of occasions. Unlike some supposedly trans-supportive offices, they were more than merely perfunctory. The staff always exhibited concern that felt genuine, even being candid with us (something that doesn’t happen as frequently as one might presume). This year’s visit was a perfect example as Lantos was not signed on as co-sponsor for the inclusive version of ENDA (HR 2015), to which I questioned his Judiciary Committee Asst, Michael Beard. Merely an oversight, was his response – and sure enough, Lantos was shortly thereafter a co-sponsor. They “walked the walk.” Read more.
HRC3 ≠ Bright Future For Transgenders
February 11, 2008 · Marti Abernathey
“This is a story of the lives and loves, and hopes and dreams, of young Batswana in the context of the changing cultural norms and values of modern times. Each of the dancers are shaped and challenged by the forces upon them: love, power, money, lust, and authority. They must choose their destiny by making difficult choices and search for what they truly believe in.” — plot summary for the documentary, Re Bina Mmogo (2004) It’s been a really blue funky week and a half for me. Seeing John Edwards drop out of the race just over a week ago, I’m left with nothing but second choices for the upcoming presidential election. I feel as if I’m wakening from a really bad hangover. My personal preference was for a presidential candidate who would address the rampant inequities, to eliminate poverty and end the disenfranchisement and disparity in this entitlement-oriented society. The last thing I wanted was a choice of gatekeepers for the corporate power stranglehold status quo. With my last best hope for that out of the campaign at virtually the same time my job ended, it’s been consideration time over the two primary candidates who are left. Read more.
Can You Ever Leave Behind the Evil Twin?
February 6, 2008 · Marti Abernathey
Don't you just love that phrase, "used to be a man?" GARRICK Jacobson was in custody at Sydney's Surry Hills police station when he apparently discovered his girlfriend used to be a man. Within hours of being released on bail, he went to her apartment and started "belting the hell" out of her, Downing Centre Local Court heard yesterday. Read more.
It’s Put Up Or Shut Up Time
September 26, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
According to the Washington Blade:"House Democratic leaders are strongly considering dropping anti-discrimination protections for transgender persons from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, after an internal Democratic head count on Wednesday found that the bill would likely be defeated if it included the trans provision, multiple sources familiar with the bill said. "In May of this year I reported of the whispers in the halls of Congress to drop transgender people from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Some went as far… Read more.
Grasping At Straws and Straw Men
September 11, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
The vitriol over at Traditional Values Coalition is heating up. As Bil over at Bilerico has reported : "The Traditional Values Coalition has a series of offensive cartoons they've been circulating since ENDA became a possibility. While the group isn't known for their Christ-like love of truth, this latest flier steps outside of their usual circle of lies and deceit to directly attack two people who, as far as I know, aren't doing anything to their organization." You can find… Read more.
Truth In Numbers, Hate Crimes Statistics
August 18, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
From a recent report out of UCLA entitled: Comparison of Hate Crimes Rates Across Protected and Unprotected Groups ( by Rebecca Stotzer, Public Policy Research Fellow at the Williams Institute) Current proposed legislation would change certain existing federal hate crime laws to add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories. Sexual orientation and gender identity are important categories for inclusion in federal law because members of these groups are just as likely to be victimized as members of other… Read more.
Bush Doesn’t Care About America
August 8, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
When Kayne West said "George Bush doesn't care about black people!" , he was partly right. George Bush doesn't care about the majority of Americans or what they care about. From HRC's "Back Story" blog: It's really sad, but apparently Bush never tires of catering to his base, despite the undeniable (and well publicized) loss of confidence in his judgment and leadership by the majority of Americans. It’s not that complicated. In May, Gallup released a poll that showed overwhelming… Read more.
Justice, American Style
July 15, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
It was striking seeing a blurb by a spokesperson in the Iowa Republican Party responding to the prospect of former-President Bill Clinton lobbying for his wife Hillary’s presidential campaign: “After Bill Clinton tarnished the name of the president of the United States, the Republican Party restored hope, respect and morality within the Oval Office by bringing positive ideas and conservative values back to the White House.” Reading this caused me to respond with one of those GEICO© caveman moments: “Yeah,… Read more.
Love Thy Neighbor?
July 15, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
As the Hate Crimes amendment to the Defense Funding Authorization is being debated in the Senate, it’s funny hearing some of the arguments coming from those opposed to allowing the additional protections to sexual orientation and gender identity. Many of the callers advocating for killing the Hate Crimes amendment have taken liberty of saying it infringes on free speech. Nothing in the Hate Crimes bill (S. 1105), nor the amendment to the defense-spending bill with the exact same wording, makes… Read more.
An update on the previous post, Trans-panic Defense Alive And Well In Palm Beach. A 17 year old Florida teen was found guilty of a second-degree felony of aggravated battery when he assaulted a 39 year old transwoman. Further details of the beating were learned when one of the police officers testified. From the Palm Beach Post: "Palm Beach police Sgt. Jennifer Sandman, who interviewed the teen on the morning of the incident, testified at Monday's trial in juvenile court… Read more.
Trans-panic Defense Alive And Well In Palm Beach
July 3, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
It looks as if the trans-panic defense is alive and well in Palm Beach. From the Palm Beach Post: Two strangers met outside a bar on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach. One of the strangers turned out to be a 17 year old male and the other was a 39 year old transwoman. "The teen says that she got into their car, and performed oral sex on him in the back seat while his friend drove. They ended up… Read more.
Same Ole “Ball and Crain” Dreams
June 2, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
"I know some of my transgender sisters question my commitment to their equality, but let me be the first (I think) to point out where the top-three Democrats on in inclusion of gender identiy in federal hate crimes legislation (where I support it) and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (where I support in principle adding it at some later date, but oppose its inclusion now)." - Chris Crain First of all, it's not just the sisters that question you "commitment" to… Read more.
A Week of Direct Advocacy
May 23, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
If nothing else, last week was historic in that the three major transgender advocacy organizations (National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition) brought in citizen lobbyists to Washington D.C. from across the United States for a week of direct congressional advocacy. Rolling in to DC on Tuesday, I had the chance to see the lobbyists for the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC) in action. Tuesday night NTAC sponsored a plenary session or… Read more.
The T Isn’t Silent, But HRC Is
May 17, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
It's coming up on two years ago that I wrote an "Open Letter to Cheryl Jacques." A month after I posted my open letter, Jacques greeted transgender protesters outside of Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) offices with the news that HRC would not support any version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that didn't include transgender protections. She later wrote: "passing ENDA without gender identity and expression is like passing a copyright law that covers books and television shows but doesn't cover… Read more.
City of Brotherly Love, Sisterly Hate?
May 10, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
What the hell is the problem with the Philadelphia Police Department? The police covered up the events that led to the murder of Nizah Morris in December of 2002. The city settled in a federal lawsuit that alleged that police and rescue workers contributed to her death. On March March 21, 2007, (according to witness accounts) Roland Bottom repeatedly ran over Erica Keel after ejecting her from his car. A medical examiner's report supports these accounts, classifying it as a… Read more.
HR 1592 PASSES THE HOUSE!
May 3, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
237-180 Congrats to all who worked on the House version! Now on to the Senate. Read more.
Rose Colored Glasses
March 21, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
In March of 2006, I suggested to members of the Indianapolis GLBT activist community that they not support the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) fund raisers in the state until HRC fully supported transgender people in hate crimes legislation. I received an email back from Donna Rose, who served on the HRC Business Council. "There is a significant amount of history to overcome – full of anger, frustration, and distrust. None of us can change the past. However, to believe that… Read more.
Four Years Later, Still No Answers.
February 13, 2007 · Marti Abernathey
Ethan St. Pierre of Transfm.org and The Radical Trannies recently interviewed Tim Cwiek. Tim is an investigative journalist for Philadelphia Gay News and has looked into the suspected police involvement of the death of transgender woman, Nizah Morris. http://radicalguy.podomatic.com/enclosure/2007-02-12T12_39_53-08_00.mp3 Read more.