Disrespecting Victoria C. White

Just in case anyone has forgotten that we are weeks away from another somber TDOR ceremony is November, here's another reminder for my cis African descended community which ethnic group along with Latinas will be disproportionately represented when we read the names on November 20.

28 year old Victoria Carmen White of Newark was shot to death early Sunday morning on September 12 and pronounced dead at the scene at a Maplewood, NJ apartment building located at 159 Jacoby Street.

But as tragic as the violent end of Victoria's life was, she got a layer of disrespect shoveled on top of it as well.

The Maplewood Police and Essex County Prosecutor's Office initially identified her using her old name and incorrect gender pronouns.

They had to retract that initial press release and add the following statement:

"Following an examination by the Medical Examiner and further investigation, it has been confirmed that the victim was a post-operative transgender female having undergone sex reassignment surgery."

Take a look at the photos of Victoria interspersed throughout this post. Does she look like a 'man'?

When are you peeps going to get it through your heads, especially in the law enforcement and criminal justice communities that genitalia does not necessarily equal gender?

But that's a rant for another day.

Rest in peace, Victoria. We can only hope and pray that by the time your trans brothers and sisters around the world recite your name and light candles for you at the 2010 TDOR ceremony, that the person who callously ended your life will be brought to justice and spend the rest of their lives rotting in jail.