Mistrial declared after no verdict in Milwaukee rapper's slaying
Link TW: description of murder
A mistrial was declared Monday in the case of Billy R. Griffin in the gang killing of his roommate, rapper Evon Young.
As trans* women of color, we all hear about the murders and the mutilations and the abuse and I just I knew that I was coming into this age range where that would be happening. So I kind of felt like a rush to put this memoir out so that these news reports couldn’t project their views onto me. Like, I have a book, you can’t lie about this any more.
Source: cornelstressed
Two Trans Murder Trials Start Today
The eyes of the African-American trans community and our allies will also be focused today on Washington DC and Milwaukee,WI as the alleged murderers of Deoni Jones and Evon Young face the legal music for their crimes.
(via amydentata)
Source: biyuti
Ebony.com - Why Aren't We Fighting for CeCe McDonald?
CeCe McDonald’s case not only represents a tragic miscarriage of justice, but also speaks to the fundamental unfairness of the criminal justice system for the Black trans community.
Maybe someday it’ll change for the better, until then… keep spreading the love for CeCe, raise awareness and make some noise.
Despite considerable evidence -including medical evidence, toxicology reports, eyewitness accounts, and unrefuted testimony- McDonald’s self-defense claim was dismissed by prosecutors.
Last year, hundreds of attendees gathered together at Pilsen’s Union Park for the first-ever T.G.I.F. rally, battling a surprise summer rain to be there. Standing for “Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Intersex Freedom,” the event sought to bring together these three groups for their own pride event. The event often got the misnomer of “Trans* Pride,” but it was more than that. The day saw speakers, musicians and a performance of What’s the T? from About Face’s Youth Theatre, which looks at the intersections of race, class and gender in Boystown through the eyes of youth. The event was families and communities coming together to organize, to dialogue and to celebrate their togetherness. This was a day for everyone. Read more.
This year’s Trans*, Gender Non-Conforming, Intersex Freedom Rally and Picnic needs your help! TGIF wants to raise $10,000 within the next 8 days, and they are still over $8,500 away from their goal. PLEASE consider donating if you have the funds. Otherwise, please spread the word about this event.
Find out more about TGIF at their official facebook page here.
We Want the Airwaves: QPOC Artists on the Rise
Support We Want the Airwaves, a podcast showcasing the work of queer & trans art activists of color.
(via loversintransition)
Source: queerbookclub
From the film Paris is Burning:
“They treat each other like sisters or brothers… or mothers. You know, like I say, ‘Oh, that’s my sister because she’s gay and I’m gay too.’” - Street Kid
(via thefemme-menace)
Source: nicholascharlesrivera
Only TWELVE DAYS LEFT! Help Make the TGIF 2013 Rally & Picnic Happen This Year!
We want to build on the success of last year’s TGIF rally and make TGIF 2013 bigger and better! Help make TGIF 2013 happen!
The theme for T.G.I.F. 2013 is, Transcending Pride, Evolving Movements. In the wake of Paige Clay, the blatant genocide of black transfeminine youth, and the intentional exclusion of the TGI agenda in the fight for “Marriage Equality”, T.G.I.F. 2013 poses this question. Now that we are proud of who we are, how can we make it so that forthcoming TGI generations don’t have to face what we do?
Donate here and PLEASE spread the word! Only $1,244 has been raised thus far - with a goal of $10,000!
Trans* Awareness: What resources do you wish you had access to as a QPOC?
Are you a queer or trans* person of color? I’d like to hear from you!
As time ticks forward, programs and opportunities are springing up in several areas that directly benefit queer and trans* people. However, most of these programs blatantly ignore the intersectionality of…
(via loversintransition)
Source: bookishboi
TransGriot: Black Trans History-Philecia Barnes
Click through to read a historical account of Philecia Barnes’ groundbreaking legal battles in the usa.
How Finding My Korean Mother Gave Me the Courage to Transition
Growing up, I remember making a pact with myself. As an adopted child I promised to find my family…
Jamaica – Transgender women call for equality
Two transgender Jamaicans, Whitney and Tiana Miller, have joined J-FLAG’s We Are Jamaicanscampaign, which seeks to encourage respect and understanding for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. We Are Jamaicans is a participatory video campaign (http://www.youtube.com/user/equalityJA), which was launched on January 17, 2013 by J-FLAG to raise awareness about LGBT identity and community.
We cannot effectively reduce the incidence of violence against women in Jamaica if we continue to ignore socio-cultural factors that make violence against women permissible. Transgender Jamaican women are often not included in our vision for women’s rights in Jamaica despite their vulnerability to violence and discrimination. The voices of transgender women in the We Are Jamaicans campaign is in an effort to bring visibility to their lives and to not limit our definition of ‘woman’ to genitalia. In her video, Whitney stated that Jamaicans “are not accepting of people whose gender identities don’t align with their biological sex,” (http://youtu.be/O9iNYKqttc4). Tiana Miller, whose video can be seen athttp://youtu.be/GCHppSFrDYE said she does not have life easy in Jamaica. “I feel alienated, always being bashed by society, but that doesn’t change who I am,” she said.
J-FLAG is encouraging Jamaicans to recognise that we must embark on implementing a more multifaceted programme to address violence against our women and girls. It is important that we recognize and appreciate the need to create support systems for victims and their families, encourage honest conversations about gender, sex and sexuality, and teach mutual respect for each other. The campaign is funded by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition(CVC) through its Global Fund Vulnerablised Project.
KYE ALLUMS DISCUSSES HIS PERSONAL HISTORY AS A TRANSGENDER ATHLETE
In honor of Black History Month GLAAD is highlighting the roles African Americans have played in the advancement of LGBT rights. Recently, GLAAD spoke with basketball player and transgender advocate Kye Allums. Kye made headlines in November of 2010 when he became the first transgender man to play Division I basketball while attending George Washington University. Kye Allum’s decision to come out as transgender while playing basketball and his continued efforts to advance LGBT rights in athletics prove him as a pioneer in the LGBT community.
GLAAD spoke with Kye about his experiences as a transgender, African-American athlete and what advice he would give to youth who are also LGBT athletes.
Click the header link above to read the interview.
TW: murder, cissexism, hate crime/Police End Search for Murdered Transgender Rapper, Body Not Found
Milwaukee Police Sergeant Mark Stanmeyer told reporters yesterday that the department has called off the search for the body of Evon Young (better known as Yung LT), a transgender rapper who was allegedly murdered earlier this year. According to Milwaukee’s TMJ4, police spent three weeks searching the landfill where the alleged killers had told them they dumped Young’s body after murdering him.
“Detectives had narrowed the area of the landfill that [Evon’s] body was most likely in, resulting in tons of garbage being moved and searched in an effort to locate any evidence related to the homicide,” Stanmeyer said. “The detectives, as well as personnel from the landfill, a local excavating company, and dog handlers conducted an exhaustive search under challenging circumstances, however [Evon’s] remains were not found.”
The 22-year-old up-and-coming musician was murdered on New Year’s Day by a gang of five men who had been his friends. His death was a classic case of overkill: he was tied up, beaten with fists and other objects, choked with a chain, had a bag taped over his head, he was then shot, set on fire, and discarded into a dumpster. The media was quick to point out that his murder had nothing to do with him being transgender, being that he was deeply closeted, though his family and friends have been quick to dispute that. One of his best friends gave an anonymous interview with TransAdvocate.com that illuminates the case. The media and the police in the region used Young’s birth name and often identified him as female, despite the fact that he had been male-identified by his family and his public records.
His mother, who reported him missing, also alleged that police were slow to search for Young because he was a young, black, transgender man. The men arrested for his murder include Young’s roommate, Billy R. Griffin, 26, who, according to theMilwaukee Journal-Sentinel, initially said Young had gotten into a car with someone on Jan. 1 and never returned. He later admitted to police that the other four men, who were part of a gang, came to his house and told him to kill Young in order to return to the gang. Police reports say that Griffin admitted the men told him that “Young couldn’t be trusted” but did not clarify what they meant by that and whether his gender identity could be part of the subterfuge they alleged.
The other four men, Griffin alleges, killed Young that day. Police arrested Victor Stewart, 27, Ashanti Mcalister, 19, Ron Allen, 37, and Devin Seaberry, 23. Stewart told police that he had an argument with Young over a burglary and that he asked Griffin to kill the rapper but when Griffin declined, he and the other three men beat, suffocated, and strangled Young and then, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Mcalister shot the victim “three times with a .22-caliber handgun.”
Though the latest search was called off without finding Young’s body, police did say they found other evidence that can be used in the prosecution of the five men, all of whom have been charged with first-degree intentional homicide. Blood evidence at the home Young and Griffin shared proved that Young had been killed there, so the district attorney can move forward with the mens’ prosecution without a body.
^ TW: description of murder, hate crime ^
TransGriot: WWLT-TV, I Find Your Lack Of AP Stylebook Trans Understanding Disturbing
Why in Hades is it so hard for professional journalists to get this breathtakingly simple concept?
Per the AP Stylebook:
transgender- Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.
If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the individuals live publicly.
Once again (sigh), we have another example of media misgendering of a trans person. This person is being sought by the New Orleans po-po’s as a suspect in a French Quarter robbery. BTW, if you have info in that regard, call New Orleans Crimestoppers
But back to riffing on the media again. WWLT-TV’s report was in violation of the AP Stylebook guidelines for reporting on trans people. Since they have shown no aptitude for being able to read the English language version of the AP Stylebook the TransGriot is going to have to go back to her earlier blog policy of showing them by example how it should have been done.
(Moni cracks knuckles)
NEW ORLEANS - Police are searching for a suspect they describe as a transgender female who they say robbed a man while walking on Bourbon St. According to police, the robbery happened early Tuesday morning at around 5:25.
According to police spokesman, Frank Robertson, the suspect reportedly approached the victim and tried to start a conversation, then two other suspects appeared, and attacked the man. They then took his wallet and money. Police say they are searching for a Transgender African American female, 5’07” to 6’00” tall, in hermid-20’s to early 30’s. If you have any information that could help police, call CRIMESTOPPERS at 822-1111.
See, now that wasn’t so hard was it WWLT-TV? You might as well start now practicing how to get these descriptions of trans people consistently right since you have a large concentration of my trans peeps in the New Orleans metro area. It will not be the first or last time you have to accurately report on a trans person in New Orleans, so get used to doing it. And since it’s more accurate, it might even lead to the capture of said suspect instead of the confusion you sowed when you wrote the aforementioned piece describing a person with a feminine gender presentation as a man.
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