Transgendered Crimes

[Julie]

I received this from a friend who attended a memorial for murdered transgendered victims. This is a reminder that there is still a lot of hatred out there against the transgendered. Venture only into safe areas. Know your rights. Keep your eyes open. Please, be careful when out dressed.

"As of today, 25 have been murdered in our community within the last year. There are other cases we don't yet have all the information to determine if they were transgendered hate crimes.

1. My name has been forgotten, but I was around twenty-two years old, and a transgender woman living in Surco [SOOR-co], Peru [Per-ROO]. On the night of November 26th, 2004, four people dropped me from a car, then set my body on fire.

2. My name was Luana, and I was a Brazilian-born sex worker living in Migliarino [meel-yah-REE-no], Italy. I was shot in the back of the head by my killer on December 3rd.

3. I'm Penny Port, from Sheffield, England. Prior to my transition, I worked as a construction worker, then as a part time boxing coach. On December 19th, I was found lying in a pool of blood after multiple stab wounds, and died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

4. My name was C. Hernández [air-NON-des]. On December 20th, in Mendoza, Argentina, I was stabbed multiple times, including two deep cuts to my throat. When my body was found, blood was spattered around the kitchen, a patio, and a garage. I was found face-down in the patio. Neighbors heard me shouting for help and called police, but they did not arrive in time to save me. My alleged killer, Pablo Corvalán [PAW-blo cor-vah-LAWN], took his own life rather than face jail.

5. I'm Robert Binenfeld, and I practiced medicine for 26 years. On the 21st of December, Jason Bardsley showed up at my home in Monroe, New York. Bardsley has pled guilty to strangling me, citing a "transgender panic"-style defense, and was given only 20 years in prison.

6. My name was Felicia Moreno [fell-LEECE-ee-ah mor-AY-no], and I was from Hollywood, California. On December 26th, an active-duty U.S. Marine lance corporal named Patrick Edward Vallor, shot me several times. Vallor, a military policeman stationed out of Twenty-Nine Palms, California, was shot and killed after a standoff with police. I was a 25 years old.

7. My name was Ryan Shey Hoskie, and I was a sex worker in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the morning of December 27th, my partially-undressed body was discovered in an alley. I had suffered upper body trauma that led to my death.

8. My name has also been lost. I was 32 years old, and from Paraná [par-rah-NAH], Argentina. I was shot to death around 2:00 a.m. on January 12th, 2005. Some have questioned if my murder was committed by local police officers.

9. I was Ronnie Paris, and I was only three years old. I lived in Tampa, Florida. My father did not want to 'raise a sissy,' and didn't see me as being very masculine. I died on January 28th, from swelling on both sides of the brain caused by my dad: he slapped my head numerous times until I went into a coma.

10. I'm Karlien Carstens, and I ran a small tuck stop out of my home in Okahandja [oh-ka-HOND-jah], Namibia [nah-MEEB-bee-ya]. When my brother found my body on February 16th, I was tied up with cords cut off of my electrical appliances, with one cord tied tightly around my neck. I was strangled with some force.

11. My name is also forgotten, and I was living in Neuquen [nay-oo-KEN], Argentina. on February 22nd, police were called to my apartment by neighbors reporting shouting, and the police found me inside. I had struggled with my murderer. I was beaten to death.

12. My name was Michelle Lee, a 42 year old from Daly City, California. On March 1st, a phone repairman found my body near a hillside just a short distance from my home. I was stabbed to death.

13. I was Phool Chand Yadav [PHOOL SHAWND YAW-doff], from Lucknow, India. I was living as a male, and was part of a drama company. On March 17th, I took a walk with two other guys. Once these men discovered that I was biologically female by removing a false mustache I wore, and forcing me to disrobe. I was raped and murdered. After killing me, my killers replaced the false mustache.

14. I'm Mylène [mee-LEN], a 38 year old transsexual born in Ecuador, and living in France. On March 26th, my body was discovered in a room in a hotel near the center of Marseilles [mar-SAY]. My throat was cut -- as were my genitals.

15. My name was Alejandra Galicio [ah-lay-HAWN-dra gah-LEECE-ee-o], and I was an active member of the Center of Action in Civil AIDS and Rights in Bahia Blanca [vah-HEE-ah BLAWNK-kaw], Argentina. When I was initially discovered by police on April 12th, I was semiconscious and blood-spattered. I suffered a severe cerebral hematoma, ocular inflammation, and other trauma to my face. I died in intensive care.

16. My name was Ashley Nickson, and I was a 30 year old transwoman from Dothan, Alabama. Folks knew me as a nice person, no troublemaker, and someone who was very open about my life. Steven Antonio Kyles, a 19 year old, got into an argument me, then left and returned with a gun. He shot me to death and wounded a male friend who was sitting next to me.

17. I'm Amancio Corrales [ah-MAWN-cee-o cor-RALL-ess], but I also went by Delilah [deh-LEE-lah]. I was living in Yuma, Arizona, but I often did drag shows over in Phoenix, Arizona. On the night of May 5th I hit some of the local bars in Yuma. My body was discovered the next day, submerged in shallow water about 500 feet west of Paradise Cove. Police have not given many additional details, only listing my death as having been caused by "violent trauma." Rumors in the local community have said that I was brutally beaten to death, possibly even mutilated. I was 23 years old.

18. My name was Noleen Jansen, and I was 18 years old, and intersexed, living in Namibia. On May 6th I was stoned to death, allegedly by a 17 year old, near the Luederitz soccer stadium. There was also evidence of a rape or attempted rape.

19. I was Julio Argueta [HOO-lee-o ar-GET-tah]. I moved to the United States from El Salvador, so I could live life as a woman. To make ends meet, I delivered a local newspaper by night and sold clothing out of my home in Miami, Florida during the day. On May 16th, I was stabbed 12 times. When rescue workers arrived, they found me in a pool of blood begging for help. I died at the hospital nearly an hour later.

20. I'm Timothy Blair, Jr., and I was a 19 year old crossdresser living in Louisville, Kentucky. I was shot multiple times on May 22nd, possibly by someone I met in an Internet chat room.

21. I was Marisa, and I was a 55 year old transsexual living in a large house in Argentina. I underwent sexual reassignment surgery more than three decades ago. On May 28th, I was stabbed 15 times, with two different knives, and was discovered laying across a blood-soaked mattress.

22. I'm Kasha Blue, though some of my friends also knew me as Sydney. I was a hairstylist who lived my life as a woman and spent years working at a salon. on June 18th, just after work, Michael Major stabbed Kasha Blue in the chest. After he stabbed me, Major said, "I got faggot blood on me" and ran down an alley.

23. My name is Irene. I was a 44 year old transsexual, originally from Thailand, but living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. My body was discovered in July at my home, where I had been stabbed several times and bled to death. A 20-year-old man has admitted to my killing.

24. My name was Lisa D., and I was a 42-year-old woman from Dorchester, Massachusetts. I was shot to death on September 17th, and my body was found near a local Stop n Shop.

25. I'm Christina Smith, 20 years old from New Orleans. That is, I was from New Orleans, but I had to evacuate because of Hurricane Katrina, and ended up in Houston, Texas. On October 12th, I was found slumped against a gate at the apartment complex I moved into, with a bullet in the back of my head.

26. My name is Kaaseem Adalla Juanda, and I was a 60 year old, post-operative transsexual woman living in Kansas City, Kansas. On October 17, 2005, police discovered my body near a rest stop on Interstate 29 outside of Glenwood, Iowa. I was shot to death, and the gun was found near my body. Because of this, police initially believed I committed suicide. They now think I was murdered."

[swiss_susan]

And in truth, it really dosen't matter who, or what you are, there is some prick somewhere that is ready to kill you for it.

Julie thanks for the reminder to be safe.

Susan

[Stlalice]

I originally posted this in the Events Forum but it bears repeating here - we will be reading the names on Julie's list and with each name a bell will toll. I will also be leading a special communion service in memory of those who have passed. If you are in the St. Louis Mo. area please come and join us in paying respect to our dead. It doesn't matter if you are en femme or in drabs - find a service or march near you and be there.


Transgender Day of Rememberance is coming up on Nov. 20 and in many places around the country there will be services, marches - all to pay honor and respect to those who have died in the last year due to transphobic or homophobic violence. At the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis we are planning that at BOTH services to have a reading of the names and a special communion service to be lead and conducted by members of our transgender community. If you are in the St. Louis, Mo. area we would welcome anyone who wishes to attend and pay respect to those who have died because of hate or predjudice. This was an especially tragic year - one of the victims was only three years old and never had a chance at life. Wherever you are - if you do nothing else this year - this is one day to turn out and be there for those who have passed. :angel:

[Wendy me]

just when are people ever going to get it ???? killing someone because thay don't fit into your way of thinking of what is not right............

[RachelDee]

That's sick :( especially number 9 (not that the other storys are any less disturbing but killing a child because of something like that makes me feel quite ill :mad: ).

swiss_susan got it right though, its a sad truth that there are a lot of sadistic and sick people in the world. There are also a lot of people that cant see outside of their own little POV - If something is different to me, its WRONG!. I also have to wonder if any of these murderers had any 'issues' such as this themselves and wanted to lash out at it.

[TGMarla]

Thank you, Julie. It is very sobering to read your post. I also think that the Nov 20 day of rememberance for our TG sisters and brothers is a very decent idea. Many of us will be comemmorating in silence and solitude, for that is, as far as our TG activities are concerned, a way of life. Would that we all, as a society at large, finally come to realize that prejudice and hate are the wrong road to take, and that tolerance and respect for individual dignity is the correct way to live one's life. There are a lot of people in this world who do not earn dignity and respect, rather choosing to live their lives in a manner that causes hurt, pain, anguish, and misery to their fellow human beings. Others, however, live only to try and grind out a living, coping with the bumps in their own roads as best they can, stopping here and there to lend a hand to others when needed. Those of us who have landed on the transgendered road most often, in my experience, are intelligent, gentle, and somewhat enlightened souls who mean and cause no harm to others as they travel through their confused and often difficult lives. Yet they are among the ones who are put upon, slandered, beaten and berated, often by those very others who would not give a dime to a starving person if they tripped over them.

Each of us, at the very least, can do our part to rid the world of this kind of thinking. We can do this by living our lives in a manner that expunges hatred and unkindness to others based only upon one's outward gender presentation. Those who do no harm to others do not deserve this hatred heaped upon them. Let's save those emotions for the real evils in this world--those who would live their lives at the expense of the others in the world around them, those who would harm, hurt, murder, and destroy good and decent hard-working moral peoples of the world.

Let's all just try our best to make this world a better place. Let's spread a little love and kindness. Let's all do our part.

[Jenny Beth]

A very sad article indeed, and those are only the ones that made the news. If we were to add all the attacks against our community the numbers would be staggering because so much of it goes unreported for fear of being outed. :(

[KatieZ]

Transgender rememberence day locations for events around the US and around the world:

http://www.gender.org/remember/day/where.html



Hugs

[paulaN]

On Nov 20 I will have to stop and say a prayer for those who have fallen. To bad there was not a service near me I would be their.

[Kimberly]

November 20th... I'll mark it in my calender. xx

[Kim E]

Very sadly its an all too frequent reminder of the hateful and intolerant times we still live in. The stark and brutal reality, that there are those among us, who have no compassion or sensitivity towards people who are 'different'. Just one of those lives taken, is one life too many. The death of the 3 year old child is especially heartbreaking.

Kim

[Bonnie D]

On November the 20th I will be thinking about all those who have died because they were transgendered, gay, lesbian or bisexual, both at the hands of others or by their own hands.

It's a tragedy that so many human beings are lost to this world because of ignorance and prejudice.

I feel the same about all the women lost to this world for the same reasons but there is another day of Remembrance for them and I will give thought on that day. I'm sorry but I don't know which day that is so if someone can let me know I will make note of it.

Bonnie

[susandrea]

*tears*

[gennee]

Julie:

Thank you Julie for the reminder. There is still so much bigotry and hate out there. I read the names you listed and I will read them again and again. We still have a long way to go but we must keep moving ahead.

Gennee:)

[Jesse69]

Well, being a sex worker is a very dangerous job. And if some of those people who were murdered were trying too fool men that they were women and then they were found out- yeah that would really piss off a lot of guys. And what if you were dating someone who you thought was a real woman but later turn out to be a TS ? -- Wouldn't that piss you off too?

None of this stuff would happen to me cuz I never go out in drag trying to fool people. But people still hate me if they know I'm a crossdressor.

I think I should quit crossdressing and settle with a nice woman. But it hard to quit.

[Adrianne]

Thanks Julie for the advice and all the advice you give out love.

[KELLYANN]

THANKS JULIE. just very stark reminders of some of the many truly "SICK' people in this world.

[christine55]

We live in very dangerous times. Being CD certainly adds to our personal level of danger and we need to do the same commen sense precautions that normal women take. As for being out dressed just don't be an idiot.
As for those who choose to fool a guy into thinking his is with a GG I just dont know how to express how evil and stupid that is. That does not justify someone to kill someone else for but I dare say a good licking would be in order. Other people do have rights too. I can understand how a father out with his kids would get angry over having to explain an obvious cd just attempting to flaunt his/her personal preference. I feel we not only need to be personally careful for ourselves but to be careful to put our community in a good light.
If we are dressed as a lady we should act like one.
Hugs, Christine

[Sharon]

It's a heartwrenching list, Julie, thanks for posting it.

Most times, for those of you who assume the worse about people like me, the transgendered are usually not injured or killed for trying to deceive anyone, but, rather, just for attempting to be who they are. And no matter what, no one deserves to be hurt or killed, no matter what their intentions are.

[Helana]

Julie

It is always good to remind ourselves to be extra-careful due to the extreme prejudice which can befall us. However personally I feel your list is misleading as we do not know the details behind each case and therefore WE are assuming the worst - that they were murdered because they were TG. If we were to examine each case individually we would likely find there were other mitigating circumstances in their deaths and the fact they were TG was incidental. As already has been pointed out several were prostitutes which is a very high risk profession.

It is good to be careful but lets not encourage paranoia. Posting individual cases with details of the true motives would better serve the cause rather than assuming that all TG murders are hate crimes.

[AliciaSL]

Death hurts me deeply. Deaths like thease make me cry.

I will remember the day.

[DanaJ]

Julie thanks for posting this list. It does show that there is danger out there for us when venturing out - and to be very very careful!

I tried googling several of these names, and came up with nothing. One I did find something on was #9:

9. I was Ronnie Paris, and I was only three years old. I lived in Tampa, Florida. My father did not want to 'raise a sissy,' and didn't see me as being very masculine. I died on January 28th, from swelling on both sides of the brain caused by my dad: he slapped my head numerous times until I went into a coma.
If you do some research on this one, this child had absolutely nothing to do with being transgendered, All the news reports I read was that the father wanted him to box and fight with him so he wouldn't be "a sissy" - not that the child was a CD, or trangendered in any way. Here are some links to news stories:
http://www.tampatrib.com/FloridaMetro/MGBJQMDBLCE.html
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/02/Tampabay/Parents_charged_in_de.shtml
http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGBV5C523BE.html

It is such a tragedy when a child is abused and ultimately ends up being killed, one of the worse crimes imaginable. In my opinion, this story has no business being included on this list :(

[Lauren_T]

Julie thanks for posting this list. It does show that there is danger out there for us when venturing out - and to be very very careful!

I tried googling several of these names, and came up with nothing. One I did find something on was #9:

If you do some research on this one, this child had absolutely nothing to do with being transgendered, All the news reports I read was that the father wanted him to box and fight with him so he wouldn't be "a sissy" - not that the child was a CD, or trangendered in any way. Here are some links to news stories:
http://www.tampatrib.com/FloridaMetro/MGBJQMDBLCE.html
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/02/Tampabay/Parents_charged_in_de.shtml
http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGBV5C523BE.html

It is such a tragedy when a child is abused and ultimately ends up being killed, one of the worse crimes imaginable. In my opinion, this story has no business being included on this list :(Also this thread. (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11515)

This is one of those rare occasions where I differ with ya, Dana... the kid wasn't trans, as such, but he still died because of a macho-man who demonstrated how far some will go to enforce their cro-magnon belief in rigidly following traditional sex rôles.

The kid was beaten to death because of someone violently insisting he not be a "sissy." I think that is how the kid's death fits on that list; extreme macho violence directed at what they regard as being unacceptably gender-inappropriate... The kid, like most if not all of the others, died from someone's violent homophobia.


I can understand how a father out with his kids would get angry over having to explain an obvious cd just attempting to flaunt his/her personal preference.Well, Christine, that anger is also unacceptable. And transmitting it - and the intolerant attitude it's an expression of - to impressionable children is the root reason behind why most of the people on that list died.

That father has no right to be angry; what he should be teaching his kids is that other people have the right to be different and that that right must be respected - that is one of the most important life lessons they can learn... and that's how homophobia can be eradicated, at the source.

A parent passing his/her values on to their kids is fine; unfortunately, they don't add the all-important fact that others: (a) don't necessarily share those values, and (b) those others the same right to their values, and if they (the kids) want their values respected, they will have to extend that same respect to others.

I'm quoting Homer S. a bit much lately, but as he told Apu, "Kids are great! You teach 'em to hate what you hate..." :)

[TGMarla]

As for those who choose to fool a guy into thinking his is with a GG I just dont know how to express how evil and stupid that is. That does not justify someone to kill someone else for but I dare say a good licking would be in order. Other people do have rights too. I can understand how a father out with his kids would get angry over having to explain an obvious cd just attempting to flaunt his/her personal preference.
Hugs, Christine

Gee, Christine. I'm really not sure exactly what you're getting at here. "...fool a guy into thinking his is with a GG...?" Do you mean crossdressers hooking on or picking up men by fooling them into believing they are actually anatomically female? Well, it's probably not a great idea, but it doesn't warrant violence. Why can't the guy just let her out of the car at the next corner and have done with it rather than beat her? I have to admit, if it happened to me(were I like any other guy), I'd probably be angry, but certainly not violent. But me being me, I'd also be intrigued as well. We'd end up having coffee and a dress-up/photo session...not something a regular guy would do. As for fathers having to explain things to their kids, if he can't just tell his kids "there are a lot of different people in the world", but rather trips over himself with a complete loss for words or ideas, well, his ignorance is none of my or anyone else's concern. Kids are also often much more accepting of people (adult people) than adults are. Their prejudices aren't so etched in stone yet. Really, I'm surprised to hear such narrow-mindedness from someone on this forum. No offense intended, but you should listen to yourself.

[Stormgirl]

Not a murder or a crime but this angers me immensely. :mad:

http://forums.military.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5051924461/m/9350050100001/r/9350050100001

WTF! Read some of the replies,just plain ignorance.

[TGMarla]

Yeah, I read that same article. What a pity. It made me angry as well. Has this person no civil rights? What a hypocritical country this can be at times. Land of the Free....as long as you don't offend some powerful person's sensibilities...or lack of them.

"Crime" doesn't always mean violence or murder.

[Lauren_T]

Not a murder or a crime but this angers me immensely. :mad:

http://forums.military.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5051924461/m/9350050100001/r/9350050100001

WTF! Read some of the replies,just plain ignorance.Negatory. Not ignorance, just pure stupidity.

It's a hoot to read homophobic rants defending depriving someone of their rights - from an asshole who has the gall to quote Jefferson in his sig... :p

"Why, sure we're here to defend Americans' rights! But not the ones we don't like!"

_________

Y'know, throughout history, testosterone has killed thousands of times more people than every drug, including alcohol, combined...

[Jenny Beth]

Not a murder or a crime but this angers me immensely. :mad:

http://forums.military.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5051924461/m/9350050100001/r/9350050100001

WTF! Read some of the replies,just plain ignorance.


Sorry Aubry, I have to disagree with the word "ignorance", what I read was pure hatred. It is obvious that some of these "people" (and I use that word loosely) wouldn't hesitate to turn their weapons on the very citizens they claim to be defending. Thanks for posting that link, as disgusting as it is I had to read it.

[Stlalice]

There have been a couple of posts about how some people on this years list of victims of anti trans violence really don't belong there. After all they were (gasp!!!) prostitutes! High risk ? Very much so. Why? Truth is that when you transition from male to female you often LOSE EVERYTHING. Family, home, car, any and all of the things that you own or hold dear. If you think that a homeless shelter is a bad/dangerous place to be as a guy - think about being MTF trans in such a place - hell does not begin to describe it. Think of it - NOT allowed to dress/be who you really are and know yourself to be - forbidden to take your hormone therapy, no privacy, forced to use the male facilities, etc. Some will commit suicide rather that face this and some will turn to prostitution to make a living. This does NOT mean that they are any less deserving of our respect on the Day of Remembrance. Same for Ronnie Paris and all the others on the list - they were victims of hate - wether homophobic or transphobic - on the part of the perpetrators. Thus endeth the sermon. :( :(

[christine55]

Of course I am disgusted by posturing "he men" who would do us violence just becausse of who we are.
I do feel though that we must be aware of the fact that most men would be disgusted to discover that they had sexual relations with another guy. If I were to be having kissy face with a pretty girl and found out she was a he I would of course be somewhat interested because I am a CD but not all guys are cd's and most men, myself included would find sex with another man, as a man, disgusting. I would not blame another guy who had found himself fooled to blacken the eyes of the guilty party. To kill that person would be another matter entirely and would be an example of the homophobic, cdphobic reaction and I would like to see the full force of the law invoked.
Just as we have a right to dignity and respect I feel that people who have
"family values" have their rights. I am not refeerring to his objecting to someone who is trying to pass but a guy with kids should not have to explain to his kids someone who is dressed only to offend. I have seen people with the attitude while dressed and acting over the top with the attitude "if you dont like it you're a bigot" How would you feel if a bunch of Joe Six Packs invaded one of our conventions, strutting about drinking beer and acting stupid. Would you feel intolerant for wanting them to go somewhere else.
This is a world filled with many different people. Just as we would like others ot respect our sensibilities we should respect the sensibilities of others. Marla, sorry I mistypo'ed your name.
Hugs, Christine

[LouiseW]

Again, thanks Julie for starting this thread. I've been a T something for almost all my life and out in public, off and on, for a long time. It's good to be reminded of the risks we all take when we buck the social norms. Especially with the holidays coming on, it may be very tempting to make just another shopping trip en femme. After all, it is a thrill sometimes and, even if it is just another routine event, it does good things to the mind. There's no free lunch, however; let your guard down and you might pay dearly. Having read these crime descriptions, I'll have my eyes open and I'll be thinking safety.

[Lauren_T]

Julie

It is always good to remind ourselves to be extra-careful due to the extreme prejudice which can befall us. However personally I feel your list is misleading as we do not know the details behind each case and therefore WE are assuming the worst - that they were murdered because they were TG. If we were to examine each case individually we would likely find there were other mitigating circumstances in their deaths and the fact they were TG was incidental. As already has been pointed out several were prostitutes which is a very high risk profession.

It is good to be careful but lets not encourage paranoia. Posting individual cases with details of the true motives would better serve the cause rather than assuming that all TG murders are hate crimes.Excellent point, Helana...

And in addition, I want to mention another factor. Most peoples' estimation of the probability of various risks of being injured or killed is prone to known, predictible error. Your typical Westerner greatly overestimates the probability of becoming the victim of a crime, while greatly underestimating the probability of becoming the victim of a household mishap.

When bad things happen, they are reported... good things that occur are not, by definition, news. But if 90%, to take a number from thin air, of assaults and other physical violence directed at CDs/TSes, go unreported, that still suggests, based on the 25 cited, only 250 incidents. So let's say 99% are never reported. Even then we have - what? 2500.

CDs in the West number... what? Would anyone object to 25 million as a minimum?

So that means a 1 in 10,000 chance of a CD being attacked in the course of a year. Spread over 365 days, your likelihood of being molested on a particular day would be 1 in 10,000 X 365, or, to put it another way, 3.6 million to 1 against. Compare that to the odds of hitting the jackpot in any of the state lotteries, call it 15 million to 1, and it would seem that, on any given day, a CD is a mere 4 times as likely to be assaulted - for being a CD, that is - as to win a lottery jackpot. Personally, I'm not too worried about either one happening to me. :p

Add to that that most of us live in an urban setting, plus the fact that few of us go out en femme every day, plus the fact that a small subgroup of us - sex workers - is at a couple orders of magntude higher risk, which puts the remainder of us in turn at vastly lower risk - All those factors reduce those already-astronomical odds to virtual statistical insignificance.

My way of saying: Caution? Yes, certainly. But panic is uncalled for, since few of us stepping out on any given day are actually at any genuine real-world risk of being physically assaulted... :)

Now, the Evil Eye, that's another matter... :eek:

[Helana]

There have been a couple of posts about how some people on this years list of victims of anti trans violence really don't belong there. After all they were (gasp!!!) prostitutes! High risk ? Very much so. Why? Truth is that when you transition from male to female you often LOSE EVERYTHING. Family, home, car, any and all of the things that you own or hold dear. If you think that a homeless shelter is a bad/dangerous place to be as a guy - think about being MTF trans in such a place - hell does not begin to describe it. Think of it - NOT allowed to dress/be who you really are and know yourself to be - forbidden to take your hormone therapy, no privacy, forced to use the male facilities, etc. Some will commit suicide rather that face this and some will turn to prostitution to make a living. This does NOT mean that they are any less deserving of our respect on the Day of Remembrance. Same for Ronnie Paris and all the others on the list - they were victims of hate - wether homophobic or transphobic - on the part of the perpetrators. Thus endeth the sermon. :( :(

Stlalice

As one of those you are pointing too I will repsond to this. You are missing the point. This issue is not about judging people because they are prostitutes but facing the horrible reality that prostitutes are frequently victims of abuse and murder. Thousands of prostitutes are murdered every year all around the world. Since some prostitutes are T-girls it is inevitable that some of them will be victims too.

Now if someone can point out some stats something like although only 1% of prostitutes are T-girls, 10% of the murders are T-girls then we would have solid proof that T-girls were being specifically targetted and these are hate crimes. Otherwise we are all just assuming the worst looking at headlines without any evidence.

I mourn for the deaths of everybody, man, woman or T-girl. Nobody deserves to murdered no matter who they are or what they do. But in the world we live in, if you choose to be a prostitute then you must accept the very real risk that you could be murdered at any time.

[TGMarla]

Hi, Lauren...Since the odds are the same, I'll take the lottery, thanks.

:D

[TGMarla]

Not a murder or a crime but this angers me immensely. :mad:

http://forums.military.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5051924461/m/9350050100001/r/9350050100001

WTF! Read some of the replies,just plain ignorance.

You're right. There's a lot of hate in those posts. Hate bourne of ignorance. Yet it is those same ignoramuses who fight and die to defend our right to be the way we wish to be, and live the way we want to live, in so far as we have such rights. David Schroer became Diane Schroer sometime this year. These guys are disparaging her looks, saying she's "fugly" and such. I think differently. Any man who has fought bravely to defend this country at the very least has earned the right to live free and do as he pleases under the law. This breaks no laws that I am aware of, and I hope she has a great life as Diane. Here is a picture of her. Fugly? I think not. But that's just my opinion.

For those who would like to learn more about his incredible journey, here is a link:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=1235196&page=1

[Stlalice]

Helena,
I suspect that we are addressing two sides of the same coin here. My point was that for some T girls it was and is a choice between being a prostitue or death. For others it may be their choosen way to earn a living. Either way they are no less victims than anyone else on the list. TDOR ceremonies are our way of showing basic respect for those in our community who have been killed and very likely did not recieve even the most basic respect in the media - things like use of their choosen name and acknowledgement of their choice of gender identity. We also pay respect to innocent victims like Ronnie Paris who died because of someone else's hate and intolerance. On Nov. 20 I will be one of those reading the names and then leading a special communion service at our church to pay respect to those who have died this year. Will you be doing as much ? :angel: :angel:

[Adele 2005]

Christine,

I really don't want to misinterpret what you're saying (I sincerely apologise if I do, and it is not my intention to cause you any offence).

I'm concerned by this point where you write:

"If I were to be having kissy face with a pretty girl and found out she was a he I would of course be somewhat interested because I am a CD but not all guys are cd's and most men, myself included would find sex with another man, as a man, disgusting. I would not blame another guy who had found himself fooled to blacken the eyes of the guilty party."

Let's make it clear that dented pride does not make an act of physical assault legitimate, and that such violent behaviour should not be excused but condemned.

[Lauren_T]

Well, I mean, you're right, Aubrey... but they're just pointing out an important distinction - ignorance isn't blameworthy - if someone's never been exposed to something, of course they can't be expected to know anything about it. Every one of us is ignorant of a near-infinite number of things. But stupidity is entirely one's own fault.

Thankfully at least a couple of wiser types with actual functioning human hearts (and brains, I might add) stepped up and questioned their gung-ho bigotry... so it's not entirely hopelesss. Still, that testosterone-poisoned, moronic hatred they spew is all too common in the military as well as law enforcement. Those two career paths have an irresistable attraction for a certain type of true psychopath who, being self-appointed to the position of God, has not only decided how everyone else should live, but loves nothing better than to be given weapons which he can use on anyone who doesn't share his Fascist belief system, any time he gets the opportunity and can get away with it.

At least SargentoQuimico had the cojones to ask the Nazi *******s, "Why do you want to impose your way of life on other people, via the Supreme Court?" J'ever notice how totalitarian thugs'll never, ever answer any question like that one? :)


...And I defy anyone to show me one single person with that mindset who doesn't belong to the one political party that knows beyond any possibility of doubt that they are right about everything, and therefore have the right to use any force they see fit to coerce everyone else into living as they say (but usually don't live that way themselves, since laws obviously shouldn't apply to them...). And don't we all know which party that is...? :D

[christine55]

I don't beleive you misinterpreted what I said but I do disagree with you.
I think you overly minimize the insult most men would feel at being deceived into having even partial sexual relations with another man. Rightly so or not most men would consider it a great insult, not just a little hurt to their pride.
Alas, I am not a pacifist, and in certain instances it is appropriate to give some one a licking. (i have not had a physical fight in years). Please dont construe what I say here as meaning that killing someone because of such a reason is justified. I find such violence abhorrant.
Hugs, Christine

[Stlalice]

Instead of 25 names to be read tomorrow it looks like we will have 26 - add Donathyn J. Rodgers of Cleveland, Ohio killed on Nov. 15, 2005. :crying:

[Lacy75]

You are right Aubrey,that is plain ignorance! A lot of things need to change in this world!I hope others get the chance to read that.Also,on the subject of people like ourselves being murdered,well,i am sure some were killed for reasons other than being a crossdresser,etc..But i definately know that some of them were killed just for that reason.Its a sick sick world,with way to much killing over ignorant reasons.I wish it would never happen again,but,fat chance!Bye all!
Love,Lacy

[Stacie Stockman]

Read the comments left by the rangers on the military board. I do wish that they realize someday that its our country too.... all of us TGs, Gays, and Fugly women and some of us will fight for it too. Just wished that we didnt have to fight fellow americans for it.