Another trans woman murdered - 13 for the year so far

[PaulaQ]

This is the second murder of a transwoman of color in North Texas so far this year that we know of. Ms. Shade was murdered in Dallas on July 29. Apparently the price for our increased visibility is the lives of some of us. I can't begin to describe how this makes me feel.

Be careful out there, folks.

[Michelle789]

Paula, this really, really sickens me. Yes, there has definitely been a backlash against us. Those who are "nice" take it out by calling us "sir". Those who are mean take it out by murdering us.

Yes, be careful is damn right. And I would advise those who have cars to seriously offer people rides, whenever possible, to those who are less fortunate to not have a var.

I really, really am starting to understand vegetarians and vegans now. The only way we can value all lives equally, is to not murder animals. The fact that we survive off of eating meat is the very reason people murder, lie, cheat, steal, marginalize, and enslave. If we value a chicken or a cow as being of "lesser" value than humans, than why not value someone as "lesser" value for being a woman, black, transgender, gay, having low IQ, not being manly enough for a man, not being feminine enough for a woman? The only thing that bothers me about some vegetarians/vegans (not all) is there are some who believe an animal's life is worth more than a human right. No life is worth more than another. An animal isn't worth more than a human. Wait, we are animals. Humans are nothing more than glorified animals, and we certainly act like it, more often than we think.

And that includes to all the passable transwomen out there. Stop viewing yourself as being better than the non-passable ones.

To all the ones who are sufferred worse GD. Stop viewing yourself as being "more trans" than the rest.

We have to start in the trans community by valuing all transgender people as equal. Seriously, wake up America. I challenge everyone to ask yourself one question. Why do you value your own kind of people as more valuable than others?

And, no, you're not safer in so-called accepting cities like Los Angeles either. I know for fact that four transwoman were murdered in L.A. last year, and two this year. Those are only the ones that I'm aware of - there may sadly be others.

[phylis anne]

these people that harm others because they do not understand them or thionk they are self appointed societal enforcers should be given a taste of their own medicine. America from it's early days until present has always trashed detroyed or otherwise alienated from society what it does not understand or what it is afraid of , I hope her soul finds peace no one deserves this no matter the race ,lifestyle etc .
hugs phylis anne

[Dana44]

I think it is a sad reflection of our society. I live in a place where a man attacked a Lubys restaurant and shot women and the men who tried to protect them. It wasn't over until over eighty people were dead. He was after women. He was killed there and no answers. Some times the sick come after what bothers them. They should be found and given the correct justice. He did get that there yet it is a sad reflection of society. It sure changed the gun laws here. One must always be careful.

[Jennifer-GWN]

Paula;

This gives me reason to pause. I'd not even give this a thought here in Canada. Perhaps I'm overly nieve or short sighted. Are things that different in the U.S. or is it just defined pockets. I travel regularly to the U.S.; granted the main area I visit is a trans Mecca to some degree. Should I be so nervous to be fearful? Is it that bad. 13 is more than 1 or 0 as any senseless death is a tragedy.

I guess I should educate myself on some of the situational details associated with these death so as to be a more informed woman of the trans persuasion.

I just fail to understand how a society as seemingly progressive and preach human rights at a global level can be so polar on so many beliefs.

Sadness indeed. Jennifer

Curious.

[Michelle789]

@Jennifer - Please be careful even in L.A. and San Francisco. Read my post #2 about how many transwomen were murdered in L.A. in the past two years. And please do not walk in Hollywood at 2:00 in the night. Please be careful everywhere and at all times of day and night.

@Dana - Someone who murders 80 people will likely be murdered in a future life. The 80 people who he killed in this life will all witness the murder, but do nothing to stop it. Each one will think the other one already called the cops.

[Leah Lynn]

Why??? Why is the human race so hateful and destructive? Why are we targeted so often? Why haven't we learned to live in harmony with each other?

I truly fear for the human race. We are going to destroy ourselves, and for no honest reason, but bigotry and ignorance.

Leah

[PretzelGirl]

I just sat here 5 minutes after hitting reply before touching a key. Responses to this have just become impossible. What is tougher is that you just can't pass a law and it changes. It takes social change. Social change requires education and then time as the acceptance level turns.

This is now more murders reported in the US than all of last year. I suspect it is a combination of escalation due to increased visibility and probably some level of identifying our sisters better instead of them going unreported. We do need better pursuit of those that perform these atrocities. I don't see a lot of news of people being arrested and maybe those reports go under the radar.

[Robin414]

This is sickening, I sometimes feel like its a war and we need to arm up against it! I know, education and time will win out of course but people being mudered while we wait!!? I'm feeling the race movement of the 50's and 60's, the bigots eventually die, just not soon enough! I saw a video of a TG woman being beaten in a McDonald's by two woman when she used the ladies room. I swear if I were there...I've never hit a woman or even a guy wearing glasses (yah, I'm old school) but I swear if I were witness I'd would have gone phsyco...bat s..t...crazy and caused some serious physical damage to the perps AND the building!...OK, venting. ..I'm not a hater and don't propagate it but I would have more than broke up the fight let's say!!

[donnaS]

I agree with Leah Lynn, Why, can't people live their own lives and stay out of everyone else's. Why can't we do what makes us Happy. We don't hurt anyone with our life style.

[PaulaQ]

Thanks to the laws of the great state of Texas, her murder can't even be investigated as a potential hate crime.

It's OK to hate us, I guess, at least here in Texas.

[jaleecd]

I think the entire country is in a state of unrest. people who can't define their angst strike out at any target, without identifing the real reason for their rage. No answers, other than be super careful.

[grace7777]

What is tougher is that you just can't pass a law and it changes. It takes social change. Social change requires education and then time as the acceptance level turns.

How true.

I think as more people get to know people who are transgendered, they tend to become more accepting. Acceptance is just going to take time.

I have only had one really scary moment. Fortunately, I walked away and the person did not follow me. Knowing the dangers we face, I am still going out en femme. I have to be me, and I do not want to be confined to my apartment.

A lot of the time I use public transportation and it has not been a problem. I have a car, but I am trying to go to more of a car free lifestyle. Many people get attacked going to their cars. I am working on being more aware of my surroundings.

[Starling]

Most people who hate us would never think of going beyond a smirk or a catcall; it's enough for them to feel superior to the faggot, or whatever they think we are. But there are too many millions in this country who are so unhappy with their own lives, so willing to throw them away, that they lash out murderously, without empathy or even fear of their own death. They are like suicide bombers.

You could call them crazy, but they have been driven crazy by their lives. And the hell of it is, it's difficult to tell the mere haters from the potential killers. It's going to take a lot of education to overcome that awful reality.

Lallie

[kimdl93]

I'm sorry to hear of another victim. I do wonder if any analysis has been done of the circumstances. We had a tragic murder of a transwoman of color in Tyler a couple of years ago. She was engaged in the sex trade and died at the hands of a john, a local college jock with whom she had on ongoing involvement. I wonder how often life circumstance force transwomen into dangerous situations such as this. I suspect these circumstances contribute to the mortality rate.

[steftoday]

Thanks to the laws of the great state of Texas, her murder can't even be investigated as a potential hate crime.

It's OK to hate us, I guess, at least here in Texas.

I lived in North Texas for a few years. Knowing what I now know, I would never live there again.

[PaulaQ]

And with today's announcement of Ashton O'Hara in Detroit, we are at #14 for the year.

The list thus far, and their ages: 12 on this list are trans women of color.
Ashton O'Hara, 25
Shade Shuler, 22
Amber Monroe, 20
K.C. Haggard, 66
India Clarke, 25
Mercedes Williamson, 17
London Chanel, 21
Kristina Grant Infiniti, 47
Penny Proud, 21
Taja de Jesus, 36
Yazmin Vash Payne, 33
Ty Underwood, 24
Lamia Beard, 30
Papi Edwards, 20

[Algoma]

Todays posts go from having a great of experience at Dress Barn and Torrid to being killed. As scary and sad as murder is I am taking the positive side of this, in that there are more Dress Barns than murders. Think of how far society has come in the last couple years, TV shows, Jenner, Time, etc.... I do comfort my self in the fact that this is a very small group that is out for us, and a small percentage of the murders are targeted at trans woman, yes even one is too many. The US can be dangerous and even in boy mode we need to be careful and aware of your surrounding at all times.

We all need to speak up more and force our politicians, and society to recognize this is a hate crime. This is not a joke, we are not a joke. It may take time for acceptance, and it won't come from everyone. But it is coming.

Be safe, Hugs Algoma

[PretzelGirl]

I haven't seen a second reference to confirm, but it may be 15. What a horrific week!

http://www.therainbowhub.com/kandis-...s-woman-slain/

[Christina Kay]

So very sad. Please try to be safe everyone .
Thoughts and prayers for those girls.
Christina

[PaulaQ]

And with the murder of Tamara Dominguez, the toll is at 17:
http://www.kctv5.com/story/29806858/...multiple-times

What kind of a society do we have that can't recognize our humanity?

[Badtranny]

I just saw an episode of I Am Jazz and they were addressing a comment on one of her Youtube videos. Apparently some wonderful person wrote something along the lines of "somebody please kill it or I will kill it myself".

Jazz is a 13 year old trans girl who has done nothing to warrant that kind of hate. Well besides just being brave enough to live out loud.

Perhaps that's the real issue here isn't it. There is a certain segment of the population (that will remain nameless here cuz of rules and whatnot) that will not unbind themselves from traditional notions of gender and sexuality. Many of these people have non-traditional yearnings of their own, and frankly that makes them the most dangerous because they hate this about themselves. In my 47 years on this earth, I have learned a lot of things, and not the least among them is that people will usually only hate you for what they hate about themselves. A man who has resisted homosexual impulses his whole life will hate homosexuals because he perceives them as unable to resist like he has. Why can't they just choose to be straight like he did? Of course they won't ever admit it.

In regard to trans women, we cast our hater nets a bit broader because we have the added danger of straight men being attracted to us. Of course the standard rule of hating what they see in themselves applies, but there is also hating that they are attracted to us, along with the shame of being attracted to us. Even if a straight dude is attracted to a woman he finds out later to be trans, the shame of what everyone else will think is enough to push them over the edge. Can you imagine being so widely disliked that merely being seen with you is so shameful that a man would rather go to jail for murder than admit his attraction?

The world is turning slowly, but I fear it may get worse before it gets better as the aforementioned population will probably get even more violent before they finally fade away.

[whowhatwhen]

There's too many violent people walking around in general and a lack of access to proper mental health care.

[PaulaQ]

The biggest thing we fight is that fearing those we perceive to be different from ourselves is apparently an evolutionary advantage.

Overcoming this is hard. Cruelty seems to be the natural order of things.

[Michelle789]

Paula,

You are very correct about cruelty being in the natural order of things. Sadly, our entire system of life on this planet is based on one life killing another to survive. Every animal survives off of other animals, or plants. Eating plants is considered to be more humane than eating animals, but then again plants are a life form. Some people even believe plants have souls. But when we eat fruits & vegetables, we normally eat what the plant produces, not the actual plant itself. There are exceptions, we do eat some rooted vegetables like garlic and potatoes. Some animals evolved to eat plant life instead, and likely they are more highly evolved because they choose to eat the product of a plant, and not actually take a life.

I saw a documentary about sea life once, and they were saying about how with crabs, the mother spawns 500 baby crabs. Most will end up being some other fish's lunch. Only a few survive.

It seems to be nature to produce life with the intent that most of it will die and be somebody's lunch. For every living crab you see, just remember that it had nearly 500 brothers and sisters whose fate was to be lunch for another crab or sea creature.

In the human world, sometimes we kill out of instinct.

Most of the time, rather than killing, we allow our fellow humans to live, but they must live under terrible conditions. We humans produce most of our population with the intent of them being slave labor to support the privileged few. This could manifest itself in why patriarchy encourages us to have so many children. Think about this. If most people can't afford the cost of living, and most people can't afford to buy the products and services produced by the rich, then who is going to spend the money to make the rich get richer. Ah, by having more babies, and giving them each a limited income, allows them to spend just enough money so that the rich can make more money. Why do we care about the unborn baby, but once the baby is born, we don't care about it? Ah, because patriarchy thrives on having new babies be born. Patriarchy breeds a select few people to continue to benefit from the system, while it breeds the rest of the population to be slaves to make the privileged few more privileged. Patriarchy also discourages us from committing suicide, because if every non-privileged human being took their own lives, there would be no slaves to make the rich get richer.

This also manifests itself in agricultural societies where farmers had lots of children. The purpose of the kids was to be slave labor for the farms, and to then take care of the parents when they got older. Only the strongest 2 or 3 children would be bred to actually go out, get married, and have children of their own. All the rest were bred to simply be slave labor for the farm, and to be caretakers for the parents when they got old. Many of the children would also die at young ages of natural causes. But once again, everything is for the privileged few.

Sadly, we do this to each other too in the trans community. We lack empathy for those who are less fortunate than us. We lack empathy for people who endured circumstances which we don't understand.

And when passing transwomen reject non-passing transwomen, they're perpetuating the same behavior.

When trans people who have done things a certain way in transition are closed minded to how others transition, we are perpetuating the same behavior.

It seems to be instinctually programmed into humans. A small percentage of humans, probably those who have well-balanced use of both sides of the brain, are able to overcome this thinking, and actually empathize with people.

I our "civilized" society, we kill each other emotionally and verbally, and we breed people to accept their assigned role in society. But we depend on other people's "lesser valued" lives because the select few need the lesser valued lives to serve them.

In the animal world, the select few also need the lesser valued lives to survive. But rather than enlisting them as slaves, the select few simply eat the lesser valued lives for lunch.

Same basic principle, just implemented differently in the human world. This creates the illusion of freedom we have in the modern world. This illusion that we can do whatever we want, and aspire to be whoever we want, is created to motivate us to stay alive, because the elite few need the lesser privileged majority to serve them.

This is why our world hasn't changed much even in 2015. Because we still operate under animal instincts, under a set of social rules. Some people operate under animal instincts, without any social rules, and commit violent crimes.

Part of me really understands vegetarians now. I believe a lot of vegetarians and vegans feel the way they do because they deep down inside feel that we should value animal lives more, and therefore value other humans more. I believe that the only way for us to truly break out of this vicious cycle of "kill or be killed" is to stop eating other animals for survival. Learning to survive off of water, fruits & vegetables, and sunlight itself, and not eating other animals, for when you eat a chicken or a cow, you are partaking in killing the animal. You are partaking in committing the murder of a life form whom we value as "less than" human. All of us meat eaters somehow believe that the life of a chicken or a cow is not worth as much as another human being. We need a true change of consciousness. As long as we eat other animals and value animals as worth less than humans, we will always perpetuate the murder and slavery of humans we value as less than us.