Another day, another murder

[Melissa A.]

The murders continue; the misgendering after death never stops. Even when you do all you are supposed to.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/17517/nj-murder-of-trans-woman-victoria-carmen-white-beloved-by-many-disrespected-by-law-enforcement

The message is clear: You must live in fear, and die disrespected. We'll never let you forget what you have done.

So mad I can't see straight.

Hugs,

Melissa:)

[Stephenie S]

Well, for the life of me I can't understand how she was identified as a man.

I mean, she certainly doesn't LOOK like a man. She had a vagina. Her ID stated that she was female. Where ever did ANYONE come up with the idea that she was male???????

I can't understand it.

S

[Nicole Erin]

People in general seem to be such pricks towards TS.
It is like even if someone "accepts" you, they insist on calling you by your birth name or gender. This seems to go for passable and non-passable alike.

The straight conservative community is slowly dying and they are scared to death that their old-fashioned, outdated values of what people should be is disappearing.

[Kaitlyn Michele]

She was mis identified on purpose...she was misidentified with malice and hatred...we can never prove it, but its the only explanation.

its very disheartening...and as we've talked about on these forums...its sooooo unneccessary...it hurts us, it hurts our families ..

[Faith_G]

Arrgh!!!

That's the most cogent thing I can come up with right now, but it's emotionally honest. It's really disheartening to see coverage like that. :(

[Nick2Nikki]

Could you imagine if this happened to a non-transsexual? "Well, he has a penis, and his driver's license says he's a guy, but I think that we should send out a press report indicating that a woman was shot." Ridiculous. Someone had better be reprimanded for this.

[Melody Moore]

More often than not transsexual females are purposely misidentified in the media to sensationalise the story & sell more newspapers.

In this case the police really need to be made fully accountable for releasing private information concerning her
past life & vilifying her in this was as a murder victim. The family of the victim should really be taking some legal action.

Sad, truly very sad.

[AKAMichelle]

This is victimizing her twice.

[Karinsamatha]

It is beyond my humble grasp why she was misidentified, the picture clearly shows a woman. It was incredably insensitive by the media and the individual or individuals.
It showes how much still needs to be done before we as a comunity have full aceptance in life and death.
The family should see if there is a legal recourse for them.

[Stephenie S]

OK, OK, I get all that. But HOW was she identified? How could it happen? As I said, she LOOKS like a woman. She had female ID. AND she had a vagina. What is there about her that cause some JERK to release her OLD identity? I mean, do the cops keep lists of transitioned people? No, no they don't.

Did maybe the "shooter" say, "Yeah, I killed the SOB tranny."? How did HE know?

I remain really puzzled about this.

S

[Melody Moore]

OK, OK, I get all that. But HOW was she identified? How could it happen? As I said, she LOOKS like a woman. She had female ID. AND she had a vagina. What is there about her that cause some JERK to release her OLD identity? I mean, do the cops keep lists of transitioned people? No, no they don't.

Did maybe the "shooter" say, "Yeah, I killed the SOB tranny."? How did HE know?

I remain really puzzled about this.

S

I know the police often go back into the Birth, Deaths & Marriages Archives to find out who the next-of-kin is & rather than identify
her by her current identity that would have been somewhere near her body they dragged up her past identity - very cruel indeed.

[Faith_G]

It's possible they called a family member to ID the victim - and they called the wrong family member. I could see my brother doing that to me.

[7sisters]

The media is full of mischief makers who feel they need to sensationalise things. But America is growing up and in another 50 years, no one is going to think this kind of thing has shock value. I always give the media in India a public tongue lashing when this happens. They're such cowards, they take my comment off. I'm simply key it back in. The only way is to have a united national committe run by tansfolks and allies of transfolk that DEMANDS and apology and threatens to sue. Push for a law that makes it illegal to reveal a persons 'birth gender' ... Maybe some legal person on this forum will tell us if its possible in this case.

[kellycan27]

The murders continue; the misgendering after death never stops. Even when you do all you are supposed to.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/17517/nj-murder-of-trans-woman-victoria-carmen-white-beloved-by-many-disrespected-by-law-enforcement

The message is clear: You must live in fear, and die disrespected. We'll never let you forget what you have done.

So mad I can't see straight.

Hugs,

Melissa:)

Truly a travesty, but I for one refuse to live my life in fear. if I can't live the life that I see fit, I may as well be dead anyway. I will not cower down, i will not be denied my place in this world. This person made the ultimate sacrifice for what she believed in and if we allow ourselves to run and hide was her sacrifice for not? i understand your anger, but I don't agree with the message you are sending ... it suggests defeat. and plays right into the hands of those who wish us harm and those who would deny us. This death should not send us running for cover but rather strengthen our resolve in order that we honor her sacrifice.

[melissaK]

Um, I like 7sisters comment. As our pluralistic American culture changes POV on TG/TSism, it will be occur fast in some groups, slow in others, never in some.

In my experience law enforcement seems to be a bastion of T and it's traits of hyper male dominance. I suspect this group will be one of the last to fully accept concepts of MTF and FTM. (And IMHO, something worth less than the digital ink used to express it, I see a lot of FTM types gain approval by peers in law enforcement before the MTF types do).

Add to that the job's need to get the accurate facts, and they can't help but point out histories that depersonalize and damage persons who's history is not true to a genetic stereotype.

So more posthumous gender insults will likely ensue. But each insult published serves to de-sensitize "people" to the idea of TG/TS and serves to create a sense of commonness about us. The more "people" know, the less threatened they are, the more bored by the news they are, and the more accepting they become. So, I guess I am sort of saying "any press is good press." Just trying to keep a positive thought.

hugs.
'lissa

[Jennifer in CO]

certainly not to defend the law, but to add a possibility of why she was identified as a male...fingerprints. IF she had any form of record or had, for what ever reason ever been fingerprinted, even as part of a childhood fingerprinting program to help find lost/abducted children, her fingerprints would be on file as a male and not a female. This does not defend the callus disclosure of her past which, even in death, was thrown back into her (and her families) face by the media and the law. No one in the reports from the law or media makes a cause for the senseless, probably hate crime based killing of a woman. Its like saying that since she was Transsexual then killing her was ok...

Jenn

[Melissa A.]

Truly a travesty, but I for one refuse to live my life in fear. if I can't live the life that I see fit, I may as well be dead anyway. I will not cower down, i will not be denied my place in this world. This person made the ultimate sacrifice for what she believed in and if we allow ourselves to run and hide was her sacrifice for not? i understand your anger, but I don't agree with the message you are sending ... it suggests defeat. and plays right into the hands of those who wish us harm and those who would deny us. This death should not send us running for cover but rather strengthen our resolve in order that we honor her sacrifice.

If there is any message in my posting, it is that of anger. Anger at those with the power to do the right thing, but who choose to cavalierly dismiss one's identity and frame their entire being wrongly, without a second thought. Anger at the premature death of yet one more beautiful soul who knew who SHE was, regardless of what others thought about it. How anyone clould conclude that I was advocating hiding, running, or any other form of defeatism from my words is beyond my comprehension. I expressed anger at the message being sent- the attempt at ownership of one's being, even after death. And the assumption by those who hurt and kill that they somehow have the right to take their fears out on what makes them scared and weak, with violence. The feeling behind what I wrote was plain and unambiguous-there are those who believe we should be afraid, and I won't be. Furthermore, that there are those who would go out of their way to take ownership of our identities even, or especially, when we are unable to respond. And it makes me mad as hell. That should have been clear without question, to anyone with minimal powers of reading comprehension. That message can be summed up on one word. Enough.

Hugs,

Melissa:)

[7sisters]

Are there any USA sites like petition.com? We can petition the unified body of newspapers to not reveal a person's birth gender unless relevant to the case. Maybe if we all signed it, got our friends to sign it.
Look just a thought okay...
Taking any kind of action is better than just doing nothing. What do you think?
Is there not one USA lawyer here on this forum?
I know ... a FB group....Like what young Oakleigh's classmates did for him. See social media is for us to USE... so why not use it to start positive change. Can someone brainstorm on this. Lets start with FB. you know it is free and the world seems to be on FB. What do you all think?
If anyone is interested let us discuss furthur. At least we can try. Let me also think of more ideas. I mean this is first attempt at an idea.

[Melissa A.]

There are several. Trans Forming Media is one, started by a dynamic young woman named Ashley Love. Kelly Anne Busey, in Texas, is another, Founder of Planet transgender. So is Meghan Stabler, who is on the board of HRC. Kim Pearson is director of Trans Youth Family Allies, and PFLAG transgender network. These are some people I know commited to doing the research and work necessary that hopefully changes perceptions, a little at a time, any way they can. None would mind you friending them, I'm sure, as all they seek is support and any involvement one has the time to afford, even if it's online only.

Hugs,

Melissa:)

[7sisters]

Yes, yes I am aware that there are many people doing good work. Thank you.