Number 14- Rest In Power Selena Reyes Hernandez

She is the sixth Latinx transperson to die in 2020 and the 14th transperson this year, but I'm just now finding out about this May 31 murder because of misgendering of her by the Chicago medical examiner, Chicago PD and the Chicago media

Even her family went there in disrespecting her in death, choosing to bury her in her native Mexico under her deadname.

The murder also took place on one of the deadliest days in Chicago in 60 years, with 18 people being killed in a 24 hour period.

37 year old Selena Reyes Hernandez was seen with 18 year old Orlando Perez, who lived several blocks away from her, entering her Marquette Park area home around 5:30 AM CDT. 

Perez told investigators when he asked if Reyes Hernandez was a girl, she told him he was trans.  He told her he had to leave, and returned 20 minutes later at 6 AM according to surveillance cameras armed and with a dark face covering.    He is shown on surveillance cameras pulling out a handgun, racking the slide and hopping the fence to Reyes Hernandez's home in the 3300 block of West 71st Street

He discovered the door was open, walked in and shot Reyes Hernandez in the head and back before running out of her home. 

Perez thought would be enough to kill her, but was so transphobically angry he returned to shoot her several more times as her body was on the floor.   Her body was found by someone who heard loud noises later that morning.

Perez was arrested, and the gun with the same type of bullets used to kill Reyes Hernandez was found in his Marquette Park home.   Multiple video camera show him going back and forth to the scene of the crime.

Perez is being held in the Cook County jail with no bail.   His next court date is on July 6.   Prior to killing Reyes Hernandez, he had no criminal history, but has sadly let transphobia ruin his young life.

And if he's thinking about trying to use the trans panic defense in an attempt to get off or get his sentenced reduced, not gonna happen.  Illinois is one of the states that bans it.

Rest in power, Selena.   Your Chicago trans fam is not going to rest until you receive justice.  Hopefully someone also has a photo of her as she lived her all too brief life.


TransGriot Note: Thanks to Elizabeth Rivera for finding and sending me the photo of Selena that graces this post. 

Number 2- Rest In Power Alexa Ruiz

While it has been queit since New Year's Day in terms of trans people being killed in 2020, in the years I have been tracking anti-trans deaths here in the US,  there has always seemed to be been somewhat of a lull in the early winter months of January and February before the numbers start exploding as the weather gets warmer. 

I've also been marveling at the streak the Latinas had been on in whch they had gone nearly 15th  months since I last wrote about a Latina trans woman being murdered.   

September 18, 2018 was the last time that happened on this blog, when Nikki Enriquez was killed in Laredo, TX  by the ex Border Patrol serial killer Juan David Oritiz. 

Ortiz is still in jail awaiting trial for her murder and the murders of three other women that occured between September 14-15, 2018. 

While the trans Latina community has had  some close calls, including the shooting of Daniela Calderon in Dallas back in October,  I worried that it was only a matter of time before their remarkle luck ran out.

And the circumstances of this second anti-trans murder of 2020 are frankly pissing me off.

We go to Puetro Rico for the latesr trans murder.    Her name was Neulisa Luciano Ruiz, better known as Alexa,  was shot and killed early Monday morning in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico  mere hours after someone called the po-po on her for using the women's restroom at a McDonald's.

We still don't know her age yet,  but the perps of this latest hate crime are alleged to be four teenagers. who videotaped themselves doing so.   Here body was found at approximately 3:50 AM local time.   No  one has claimed her body as of this writing.   

But let me say this about the latest murder

Going to the bathroom while trans shouldn't be an effing death sentence. But anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans hate murders.

Alexa Ruiz was homeless. She didn't get the chance to get the help she needed to get out of that situation because somebody killed her in Toa Baja, PR yesterday. .

That ended a remarkable streak in which the US based Latina trans community had gone since September 2018 (Nikki Enriquez, Laredo, TX) ,without having someone murdered.

While they have had some close calls, with Daniela Calderon in Dallas being the most recent example, who survived after being shot at point blank range six times at a bus stop, this senseless death is marjorly pissing me off.

The most vulnerable among us sadly will pay the price for the anti-trans posturing of Republican politicans, TERFs, evilgelicals and transphobic Roman Catholic Church officials, and conservafool media.

Alexa's blood is on their hands, not that they really care. It's also on the hands of the transphobe that made the call on her for simply using the damn bathroom

They are all working in concert to make the lives of trans people here and around the world hell for their own nefarious purposes.

Alexa Ruiz shouldn't have died for simply using the bathroom at a McDonalds. But because some transphobic fool called the cops on her, that's the result.

Rest in power and peace Alexa May the fools who committed this crime be swifrly caught.

And oh yeah,  Let my people pee in peace.  .

Trump Articles of Impeachment Pass House Judiciary Committee

Early this morning the US House Judiciary Committee on two party line votes, passed both articles of impeachment out of committee.

Article 1, which charged Trump with abuse of power, passed on a 23-17 vote.   Article 2, the one charging trump with obstruction of Congress, also passed by the same 23-17 vote and will be sent to the House floor for a simple majority vote as early as Wednesday.

That puts Trump one step closer to becoming the third POTUS in US history to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.

The impeachment articles are highly likely to pass in light of the fact the US House has a Democratic majority.   Once that happens, the proceedings move to the Republican controlled US Senate for a trial that could result in the removal of Trump from office if 67 senators vote for it.

We'll see if that happens.   But just to bring up this point, there are 22 Republican senators who are up for reelection in 2020 versus just 12 Democratic senators.

One of those 22 Republicans facing reelection in 2020 is none other than Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)    Other names on the GOP senate reelection list are Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham in South Carolina, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Martha McSally in Arizona, Cory Gardner in Colorado and John Cornyn in Texas.

Looking forward to seeing the upcoming House debate and seeing Trump get impeached.
 

2019 TransGriot NFL Picks- Week 15

Week 14 was filled with some shocking upsets.   One of those games pissed me off that involved my fave NFL ballers.   The Texans, after one of the best games in franchise history in the 28-22 beatdown of the New England Patriots, stank up NRG Stadium against the Denver Broncos.

Because they didn't handle their business against the now 5-8 broncos, the Texans now have a critical game with the Tennessee Traitors this Sunday in Nashville for the AFC South lead and playoff seeding. 

Speaking of critical games, only three weeks left in the regular NFL season.  Every team is playing, every game counts toward either playoff seeding or determining who gets the number one pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.    My picks in bold red print   Mike's Week 15 ones are here.


Week 14 results                                   2019 NFL Season Results 
TransGriot  11-5                                  TransGriot    128-79-1
Mike            8-8                                   Mike             128-79-1   


Thursday Night Game
RAVENS over Jets

Sunday Early Games
Texans over TITANS
Patriots over BENGALS
Buccaneers over LIONS
CHIEFS over Broncos
Dolphins over GIANTS
Eagles over WASHINGTON
Seahawks over PANTHERS
PACKERS over Bears

Sunday Afternoon Games
Vikings over CHARGERS
RAIDERS over Jaguars
Browns over CARDINALS
Rams over COWBOYS
49ERS over Falcons

Sunday Night Game
STEELERS over Bills

Monday Night Game 
SAINTS over Colts


 

Why Was An Attempted Murderer Let Loose In Dallas?

Daniela Calderon Rivera is still recovering from the six gunshot wounds she received when a motivated by anti-trans hatred Domingo Ramirez Cayente tried to kill her.back on September 20.

ICE is also claiming according to the Dallas Morning News that Ramirez-Cayente was deported to Mexico back in 2010. 

We presumed in the DFW area and Texas trans community based on that emerging info, that when he was arrested, Ramirez-Cayente would be locked up until his trial, but we were wrong.  Instead of being charged with attempted murder, the Mexican national was only charged with aggravated assault

WTF?


To add to the high levels of WTF level issues in this case, Magistrate Judge Hal Turley issued a $25,000 bond for a hate crime.   Since you only have to pay 10% of that amount, that meant that all Ramirez Cayente had to come up with was $2500 to be sprung from the Dallas County Jail.

Turley compounded his bond amount mistake by not ordering him to wear an ankle monitor to ensure that he could be tracked.   

Turley also failed to consider the fact that Dallas is only a 7.5 hour drive to Laredo and the Mexican border, and that Ramirez Cayente may have a major incentive once released from jail to point that red Chevy truck he owns onto I-35 south and skedaddle across the Rio Grande into Mexico.

It appears that Ramirez-Cayente has fled the Dallas area, and that a fugitive warrant was issued by the Dallas Police Department on October 7 for his arrest. 

Local advocate Stacey Monroe is holding a press conference at 3:15 PM at the Frank Crowley Courts Building to discuss the latest developments in this case.

Daniela Calderon Rivera deserves justice, and has every right to be fearful in light of the fact the violent transphobe who tried to kill her is a fugitive from justice.   Some folks in the Dallas County justice system failed her, and they must  be held accountable for that.

We also need to know the answer to the question of why an attempted murderer was released in Dallas?

Number 21- Rest In Power and Peace Nikki Janelle Enriquez

I was made aware of the latest trans murder victim in large part because she was one of the victims of the US Border Patrol agent who has been arrested for killing four women between September 3-15.

Been aware that we lost a trans woman since Saturday, but took me this long to confirm it because in large part of her being deadnamed and misgendered by Webb County law enforcement officials before they corrected it.

The latest trans person we have lost is 28 year old Nikki Janelle Enriquez.   What we know so far is that she was murdered by accused serial killer Juan David Ortiz around September 14-15, and according to authorities her body was found dumped along I-35 at mile marker 15.

He has now been charged with her murder and the murder of three other cis women.

After Ortiz is tried and hopefully found guilty, may he get the death penalty or rot in jail for life.

Her life and the lives of the other cis feminine people lives he callously took from all who loved them deserve justice     We'll be watching to see if that happens or Webb County falls into the disgusting pattern of not giving people who murder trans folks the sentences they deserve.

Nikki also went by the name Janelle.   No word yet from my trans family in the RGV and south Texas as to a memorial service or memorial vigil.    If I find out, I will pass that information along to you.

She is the second Latina trans Texan we have lost this year, the third trans Latina in the US murdered this year, and the 21st trans person this year violently taken from us.   

And once again, she is the tenth trans person under age 30 we've violently lost in 2018 and the 18th trans person of color.   17 of those trans POC have ben trans women.  We have also had one Black trans man killed this year who also ID as gender non conforming.

#TransLivesMatter   #TransLatinaLivesMatter.  When will the lives of Latinx trans folks become just as valuable to cis Latinx folks?    When will we see an end to the murders of trans people, no matter what their ethnic background?

Rest in power and peace, Nikki   You can begin to rest soundly knowing that the person who killed you is in custody.  Your trans family and all who loved you in the Lone Star State and around the country will be watching and waiting to see if the Webb County DA handles his business and you get justice for the abrupt end of your all too brief life.       

Suspect Arrested In Carla Pavon Murder Case

That was fast!    A suspect has been arrested in the Carla Pavon murder case.

24 year Jimmy Eugene Johnson III of the Houston suburb of Seabrook, TX has been arrested and charged with  murder.   He was detained by Dallas detectives during a traffic stop in Walker County, and investigators found items belonging to Flores-Pavon in his car. 

He was arrested, taken to the Walker County Jail and held on $500,000 bond.  Once the paperwork is completed, he will be taken back to Dallas County to face the legal music from his crimes

Johnson had been corresponding with Pavon online and it was confirmed that he was the person spotted running from her north Dallas area apartment in the Citadel at Preston Complex

Pavon emigrated to the US from Honduras seeking refuge from anti-trans discrimination in her homeland, and had been in Texas for five years .

We are now one step closer to receiving justice for Carla, and seeing that Johnson doesn't serious time for murdering our sister.  . 

Vigil For Carla

It would have been nice to not have to spend Mother's Day having to memorialize another one of our fallen trans sisters, but unfortunately that's exactly what we found ourselves doing today in the International Peace Chapel on the campus of the Cathedral of Hope.

It was organized by the Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT) ED Ana Andrea Molina, which has a chapter in the DFW area .

I was invited to speak during this vigil which had Dallas City councilmembers Omar Narvaez and Adam Medrano in attendance, Dallas PD assistant chief David Pughes, Cathedral of Hope senior pastor Rev Neil Cazares-Thomas, Pastor Yinessa Romera and Carla's mother.

In addition to remarks from Rev Cazares-Thomas, Ana Andrea Molina, and Chief Pughes, there were musical selections performed in honor of Carla.

I had an opportunity to briefly talk to Carla's mom's, and she thanked the community for remembering her daughter that she loved dearly. 

I wish I'd gotten a chance to meet Carla.   But unfortunately that's not going to happen.   All we can do now is ensure that Carla and her family receives justice. 

Vigil For Carla Tomorrow

Well TransGriot readers, didn't expect to be back in Dallas this soon. 

I'm back in town to speak at a vigil for Carla Pavon, our sister we just lost way too soon on Wednesday.   

It's being held in the Interfaith peace Chapel on the Cathedral of Hope campus at 5910 Cedar Springs Rd on Sunday starting at 2:30 PM.

Hope we get a nice turnout for it, and see you there . . 

Number 9- Rest In Power Carla Patricia Pavon

Once again it's my sad duty to inform you that we have lost another trans woman due to anti-trans violence.

The location for this latest trans murder is right up I-45 from me in Dallas, TX.   Our sister we lost far too soon is Carla Patricia Flores-Pavon and she was just 26 years old. 

Her two Facebook pages have her name starting with a 'K', but the Dallas PD crime report has it starting with a 'C'.   

According to Dallas Voice reporting by David Taffet, the Dallas PD and Dallas fire department emergency units were called to her apartment in the Citadel at Preston complex at 6104 LBJ Freeway near Preston Rd at 4:17 PM. 

A Latinx male was seen running from her apartment before Dallas fire department emergency response and police units were called.  Her body was found strangled inside her apartment, and she was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

DPD confirmed at a 3 PM CDT press conference Pavon died from homicidal violence, but there is according to them there is not enough evidence at this stage to investigate this case as a hate crime. 

Carla is the 9th person we have lost to anti-trans violence this year in the US.  She's the seventh trans person of color and the second trans Latina we have lost in the US in 2018. 

She also the first trans person in Texas we have lost this year.   This murder also is infuriating me not only because it happened in my home state, but because she was just 26 years old. 

She was just beginning to embark on her life journey, and who knows what Carla could have accomplished had she been allowed to simply live her life.

This is still an active DPD investigation, and as of yet there isn't a designated person of interest in this case or any suspects at the time I'm writing this.

I'll update the post as more news becomes available.   If you're in the DFW area and you have any information that will help solve the crime and bring Carla's killer to justice, please call the Dallas Police Department or Dallas Crimestoppers at 214-373-TIPS (8377)   You can also call DPD Detective Tommy Raley at 214- 283- 4856


TransGriot Update:  Age that was written in the DPD report was incorrect according to the recently concluded press conference.   Carla's correct spelling on her name is with a C.  Someone was spotted running from her apartment prior to Dallas police and fire department emergency response units being called. 

If a vigil is being planned, will pass on that information.    Post has been updated as of 3:45 PM CDT to reflect the latest info 

     :

Arrest Made In Viccky Gutierrez Case

That was fast. 

On January 11 at 8'00 PM PST a joint  LAPD-FBI Fugitive Task Force arrested 29 year old Kevyn Ramirez for the murder of Viccky Gutierrez. 

Her body has yet to be positively identified by the LA County Coroner as of this writing.

Investigators obtained a search warrant, found evidence linking him to the crime scene and arrested Ramirez after admitting to investigators he killed Gutierrez after as dispute.

The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney for filing consideration and Ramirez is being held on a $2  million bail .

It is also still an active case, and LAPD investigators are still seeking information that will not only lead to a positive identification of what is believed to be Viccky's body, but also establish a motive for her murder.

If you have that info please call West Bureau Homicide at (213) 382-9470

Arrests Made In Stephanie Montez Case

Arrest have been made by the Nueces County Sheriff's Department in the murder case of Stephanie Montez.

Three suspects, 39year old Cedric Green, 41 year old Randy Dorsey and 36 year old Chloe Huehlefeld have been arrested and charged with murder. 

She may have been killed according the arrest affidavit, over $20 in rolled dimes.

All three are in jail on a $750,000 bond.   Dorsey was already out on a felony bond, and was additionally charged with tampering with a witness, a charge that carries with it an additional $125,000 bond.

The wastes of DNA the defendants will have an upcoming court date before 117th District Court Judge Sandra Watts on Saturday.

The Corpus Christ area trans community will also be watching this case to see if  Stephanie gets justice in it.

JonCasey Rowell Convicted In Monica Loera Murder Case

Good news out of Austin! 

After several hours of deliberation by a Travis County jury, JonCasey William Rowell was found GUILTY in the killing of Monica Loera at approximately 4:40 PM CST.

Rowell was charged with first degree murder by APD when he was arrested for the January 22, 2016  killing of Loera at her north Austin home.

After several days of testimony in the trial which started with jury selection last Monday, the Travis County jury hearing the case went into deliberation at noon CST today.

The case was observed by members of the Austin trans and gender non conforming community and friends of Loera.   

They will be in the courtroom tomorrow morning at 9 AM CST when Rowell is sentenced and we hope it will be a punishment that fits the heinous crime.   He is facing 99 years in jail.

Killer Of Monica Loera Facing Trial Today

Monica Loera of Austin was the first of a record 27 trans people murdered in the United States in 2016.   Thanks to a tip from one of my TransGriot readers Lana Hunter, I've been made aware that the person accused of murdering her, JonCasey William Rowell, is about to go on trial for Loera's murder.

Yesterday Rowell was in court as a jury was empaneled in the 299th District Criminal Court in Austin for the trial that starts tomorrow.

Rowell was charged with first degree murder in this case.

Have a few Austin trans community members planning on checking out the proceedings in the trial in the hopes that our sister receives justice in this case.   We'll also be watching to see if the defense attorney for Rowell attempts to use the trans panic defense which sadly is still legal to use in the Lone Star State.

You know I'll be keeping an eye on what transpires in that Travis County courtroom.  I sincerely hope that justice in served on behalf of Monica and all the people who loved her.

Number 21- RIP Stephanie Montez

We have lost our 21st trans person to anti-trans violence and the third in Texas this year in 47 year old Stephanie Montez.  She's also the second trans Latina we have lost in 2017 to anti-trans violence.

And yes Dan Patrick, Greg Abbott, Lois Kolkhorst and Texas Republican Party, her blood is on your hands.

She was found in a field off County Road 61 near Robstown, TX on October 21 with multiple gunshot wounds in the chest, abdomen and shoulders.   The reason I'm just finding out about this a week later is because the Nueces County Sheriff's Department misgendered and deadnamed her.

If it weren't for a Planet Transgender story  and her longtime friend Brittany Ramirez  speaking up and talking about her life in a Corpus Christi Caller Times interview , we wouldn't have known about this latest Lone Star State trans murder and the 21st in 2017 

PFLAG Corpus Christ is organizing a Trans Rights Rally in her memory on November 4. 

The Nueces County Sheriff's Department is still investigating the murder, and if you have any information on this case, you are urged to call the Nueces County Sheriff's Department or Crime Stoppers at 361-888-TIPS (8477)

I'll also be keeping track of this case until justice is served.

Rest in power and peace, Stephanie.

Two More Trans Women Of Color Killed In Ohio And Texas

While I was up in western New York making a little trans history with Janet Mock, the world kept turning, and I stepped off the ground to find out that two of my sisters have been killed.

And once again, it fit the infuriating pattern in these trans murders of both trans women being under age 40, and being trans women of color

The one that really bothers me is the murder of 28 year old Rae Lynn Thomas of Columbus, Ohio.   This one happened mere weeks after the death up I-71 un Cleveland of 26 year old Skye Mockabee and sadly fits one of my mantras that I often repeat when I talk about anti trans bigotry and hatred.

Anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans hate violence and murders.

Thomas was murdered by her mother's transphobic ex boyfriend James Allen  Byrd.   He often hurled anti-trans slurs at Rae Lynn and referred to her as 'the devil'.

Gee, wonder where the 53 year old Byrd heard that description and some of that anti-trans rhetoric?  Pope Francis? Some sellout kneegrow pastor?   The Republican Party?   Right wing media?

Wherever he heard it, it unfortunately resulted in Byrd unfortunately taking his transphobic hate thoughts and hate speech to another level on Wednesday, as he called Thomas 'the devil' one last more time before he shot her twice and killed her.

And once again, the local paper, the Columbus Dispatch, added insult to injury by not only misgendering Rae Lynn, but refuses so far to correct their problematic story.

He was arrested, charged with murder and is being held in the Franklin County Jail on a $2 million bond.   Hope that will be a permanent condition for his when justice is served in this case.

775 miles to the west of me along I-10 in El Paso, we lost another trans woman to senseless anti-trans violence on Monday.

38 year old Erykah Tijerina was found dead in her apartment on Lisbon St.   El Paso County medical examiners have not as yet ruled on the cause of Erykah's death, but El Paso police investigators in the Crimes Against persons unit are quoted as saying there were obvious signs of foul play.

And just as in the Thomas murder, Tijerina was misgendered in the El Paso press.

Her family thinks it was a hate crime and she was targeted for being her unapologetic trans Latina self.  In case you're wondering, no thanks to Diane Hardy-Garcia, the head at the time of the proto organization, the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby that became Equality Texas.  As the ED of the LGRL she was responsible despite our best efforts, for throwing Texas trans people under the legislative bus in 1999 and 2001,

And nope, still pissed off about what happened in Austin at that time.

As a result of her actions, Texas trans people are not covered under the state's James Byrd Hate Crimes law that eventually passed in the 2001 Texas legislative session.  Translation: Tijerina's death isn't being investigated as a hate crime as a result of that legislative bull feces.

I'll gripe about that legislative travesty another time.  Right now I need to be focused on the fact my fellow Texan's life was tragically cut short earlier this week.

And yeah Dan Patrick, Greg Abbott, Ken Paxton and Texas Republican Party, your anti-trans rhetoric has real world consequences and negative ripple effects in the lives of transgender Texans

As of this writing there has not been an arrest made in Tijerina's murder, and anyone who has information that will lead to the capture and successful prosecution of it is urged to call El paso Crime Stoppers at 915-566- TIPS (8477) or toll free at 877- 566-TIPS.

If you have tips that will lead to the expeditious capture, prosecution and conviction of Tijerina's killer, please call the El Paso Police Department at 951-000-0000, text EPPD and the tip to 847411 or submit an anonymous tip

There will be a vigil hosted by Sun City Pride for Tijerina at The Edge nightclub tonight at 8:30 Pm MDT, with a second vigil being planned for August 21.

Tijerina's family also has a GoFundMe page up to help raise funds to defray the costs of her funeral.

I will be keeping up with the legal developments in both these cases until both the perpetrators of these murders are brought to justice.

Rest in power and peace Rae Lynn and Erykah.

Tamara Dominguez Murder Update

As you TransGriot readers know, we had a record number of trans women killed in 2015, with far too many of them being Black and Latina. Information about the state of their cases at times has either been slow in coming or I have been busy keeping up with other community news stories that have unfortunately resulted in me putting these cases on the back burner until new info pops up.

I now have some updated info for the Tamara Dominguez case.   You'll recall 36 year old Tamara was run over multiple times and left for dead in a Kansas City, MO church parking lot on August 15, 2015, and later succumbed to her injuries.

Dominguez's death was declared a homicide due to blunt force trauma.

And unfortunately, the pattern of disrespect in death continued.  Local KC media deadnamed her before correcting the story.  Her body was eventually shipped back to Mexico, where her brother refused to recognize her transition, deadnamed her, had a closed casket ceremony and refused to follow the Mexican feminine burial tradition of decorating the ceremony with red and white flowers.

The person accused of murdering her is 29 year old Luis M. Sanchez.  Surveillance video showed her getting into a black Chevy Avalanche SUV owned by Sanchez.  A witness saw her get out of it and slam the passenger side door before walking away.

The witness then observed Sanchez gun the SUV's engine as he ran over Dominguez with it several times before departing the scene and as we now know fleeing to Colorado after his vehicle was seized by authorities on August 21, 2015.

Sanchez was arrested in Lakewood, Colorado on May 3, and charged on Monday with first degree murder and armed criminal action according to Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters-Baker.

Prosecutors have requested a $250,000 bond for Sanchez as he awaits extradition back to Missouri to face the legal music for the murder of Tamara Dominguez.. That extradition hearing will take place in Jefferson County, CO on July 11.

Missouri also has a hate crimes law that covers gender identity, but so far the case is not being prosecuted by authorities as a hate crime.   Really?  A trans feminine person is run over with an SUV multiple times and it's NOT a hate crime?

Stay tuned as we see if Tamara receives justice and if Luis M. Sanchez pays for his crime.

RIP Jasmine Sierra

This murder happened on January 22 in Bakersfield, CA, but because of media deadnaming and misgendering by KBAK/KBFX-TV, we're just now finding out that we have lost 52 year old Jasmine Sierra.

Her body was found in an apartment in the 1000 block of Monterey St with signs of trauma indicating foul play is possibly involved..

Once again media peeps, misgendering a trans person has ripple effects.   It not only pisses our community off, it makes it harder to find the killer because we don't know or don't care to use a person's deadname out of respect for them   

Bakersfield police are still searching for the perpetrator of this crime, and if you have any information concerning this case you're asked to call 661-327-7111

First Trans Murder of 2016- RIP Monica Loera

I'm sad to report thanks to a tip by Gina Morvay and the Austin Chronicle that the first trans murder of 2016 has happened in the Lone Star State in Austin.

The reason we in Texas and Austin didn't know about it until a week after it happened is because once again, the trans victim was misgendered by the police and subsequently the local media.

As usual, I'm going to do the Austin media's job for them and give our sister the respect in death and proper pronouns she deserves and another example of how to properly report on trans murder cases..

According to the Austin Police Department, 43 year old Monica Loera was engaged in a conversation with a man in front of her home along the 300 block of East Powell Lane in north Austin at 3 AM on January 22 when she was shot.

Loera was transported to the nearby University Medical Center Brackenridge hospital where she was pronounced dead from her injuries and the Travis County Medical Examiner ruled Loera's death a homicide.

Thanks to witness descriptions and messages from the alleged perpetrator left on Loera's phone, 29 year old JonCasey William Rowell was later arrested by APD and charged with the first degree murder of Monica Loera.  Rowell is currently in the Travis County Jail under a $250,000 bond.

I will be watching this case until our sister receives justice.  If I receive any further information about the Loera case, I will pass those details along as I get them.

Rest in power and peace, Monica.   Your trans family and all who loved you will not rest until justice is served/.

TransGriot Update:  Got a call from one of my reporter contacts in Austin.  KEYE-TV will start working on doing their due diligence, talking to people who knew Monica as a prelude to correcting their station's story starting Saturday morning.   

APD's information officers need to do a better job as well of informing the media when it comes to dealing with trans murder victims and not misgendering them. 

Fed Up With Trans Latina Erasure

TransGriot note: Several of the 22 trans feminine lives we lost in 2015 were trans Latinas, but like their trans African American sisters, are not heavily represented in the leadership ranks of our trans human rights movement.  That's a problem,  especially since there are some issues trans Latinas face that disproportionately affect them.

Looks like 2016 is going to be the year trans Latinas are going to make moves to address it.   Here's a guest post from Elizabeth Rivera discussing it.

So I woke up with a lot on my mind today. Thought about keeping it to myself but I'm not biting my tongue anymore! Slept on it. And I'm done!!!!
I'm fed up with the attempted erasure of Trans Latin@s within the Transgender Social Justice Movement! This is problematic!!!! We can do better than this!!! There are specific individuals (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YEAH, YOU!!!) within the movement who refuse (blatantly) to acknowledge that Trans Latin@s are just as affected. As if we don't struggle with discrimination!!!!! As if we are not being murdered too!!! Y'all know exactly what I'm talking about. To deny this is an act of violence!

I'm going to need for the REAL AUTHENTIC LEADERS in this movement to step up and start holding those in sheep's clothing accountable NOW!!!!! I'm going to need those who are attempting to steal the limelight for their own personal gain to have a long overdue seat!!!! I am officially done with blatantly biased representation from members in our community who are only about their own personal agendas.

I am sick and tired of feeling invalidated within this movement. I am and will always be a transgender woman of color who has been a sex worker and homeless. I know my authentic truth! I have not been doing this work for the last 20+ years to start feeling this way now. ‪#‎LatinaTransLivesMatterToo‬