RIP Tiffany Edwards

It is my sad duty to inform you about the senseless killing of another one of our transsisters

The body of 28 year old Tiffany Edwards was found shout to death in the middle of Tuxedo Place street by a sanitation worker in the Walnut Hills neighborhood of Cincinnati, OH at 8 AM EDT Thursday morning.

Tiffany is the unfortunately the fourth transwoman of color killed this month alone and the fourth in Ohio in the last 18 months 

In a conversation with emerging Ohio based trans leader Cherno Biko about our fallen sister, she said, "I want to express my condolences to Tiffany's family and all who loved her." 
Biko in that conversation with me expressed concerns about the anti-trans violence aimed at trans women of color in the Buckeye State by adding. "Genocidal violence against Trans folks of color is spreading like a virus in Ohio and needs to end." 

TransOhio also expressed their concernes about this recent murder in their state.
“The brutality and violence we see being committed against trans communities of color is real. It’s happening in our own cities, in our own state. This violence needs to end. Trans lives matter,” said Shane Morgan, founder and chair of TransOhio..


The Cincinnati Police are still looking for information in this case, are asking people to call Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040

And yeah, as you probably guessed, the local Cincinnati media not only misgendered her, but used a police mugshot in the initial coverage and added her police record, which wasn't germane to this story..   

So if those of you who know Tiffany have some photos of her that aren't a fracking mugshot, please send them to me as soon as possible so I can replace it with a more respectful picture.  

Rest in power and peace Tiffany.  We will not rest until the waste or wastes of DNA who committed this heinous crime have been brought to justice.

TransGriot Update:  Cincinnati Police are looking for Quamar Edwards in connection with the murder of Tiffany. 

Quamar Edwards is 5'10" inches and weighs 250 pounds. Edwards was last known to live in the 1000 Block of Winfield Ave Cincinnati, Ohio 45205 in West Price Hill.

Edwards should be considered Armed and Dangerous........Help Police get Edwards off the Street!

If you have information that will assist in bringing him to justice please call 513-352-3040.

RIP Yaz'min Shancez

Some sad news to report coming out of Florida in terms of another one of our sisters being brutally murdered.  

The burned body of 31 year old Yaz'min Shancez was found behind a dumpster off Fowler Street Thursday morning in Fort Myers, FL.  

She had been shot prior to the burning of her body.  The death has been ruled a homicide, but Fort Myers police as of yet aren't investigating it as a hate crime.

And tragically, Yaz'min died two years to the day  her 16 year old sister Cha'Riah Owens was shot and killed..

"Nobody deserves that," said Beatrice Loggins, Shancez's aunt in an interview. "Straight, gay, purple, pink, white, black. Nobody...There will never be another T, you couldn't clone her, couldn't mold her."

A vigil will be held later today starting at 7:30 PM EDT to honor the memory of Yaz'min Shancez at Centennial Park, 2000 W First St, Fort Myers, FL.       

In addition the Facebook group, there is also a fundraising page that has been set up to help the family pay for Yaz'min's burial expenses.

If you have information to help solve this crime and bring the waste or wastes of DNA who did this to justice, please call the Fort Myers Police Department at 239-321-7700, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS or text message C-R-I-M-E-S (274637) Keyword FMPD.

Rest in Power, Yaz'min.   You are another one of our sisters who was taken away from us way too soon.

Tona's Historic Concert

This is the Weill Recital Hall at New York City's  Carnegie Hall, where on June 25 Tona Brown will make trans history when she steps onto the stage to fulfill her dream of playing there.

I'm sure when she does it will be an emotional and powerful moment no only for her, but all of us.

She's put in the practice for it.  She's raised the funds thanks to many of you to help pay the deposit on that space to lock in that June 25 date. 

The concert is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM EDT and falls during New York City's Pride Week.

The show is entitled 'From Stonewall to Carnegie Hall' and will feature works of African-American composers.   It will also discuss the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion and the positive effects the transgender community have had on the TBLG human rights movement.

In addition to Tona headlining the show, it will feature Tammy Peay hosting it and Nathan James.

So when the tickets start going on sale May 25, better move fast on them because this historic event is sure to sell out quickly because there aren't a lot of seats in this elegant recital hall. 
 

No Justice For Islan, For Now

To remind everyone that sometimes we don't get justice when our haters kill us (which fuels the anti-trans violence because the perps believe they can get away with it)) we had the concrete example of the Islan Nettles case. 

20 year old Paris Wilson, who was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault in the savage fatal beating of 21 year old Nettles in Harlem that put her in a coma for several days before she died, walked out of Manhattan Criminal Court yesterday a free man for now.  The Manhattan DA's were forced to drop the charges because the case was older than 90 days and the speedy trial clock had run out

According to a report in the New York Daily News,  Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Viorst said "we would concede that speedy trial time has run with regard to the misdemeanor with which the defendant is charged and therefore the case must be dismissed," but said the probe into Nettles' tragic death remains active.

While the New York trans community and Islan's mother Delores Nettles are obviously disappointed and upset about what transpired in the courtroom yesterday, they remain resolute and hopeful that justice will be served in this case. 

And you know I'll be keep an eye on it along with the New York trans community. 

Andrey Bridges Found Guilty Of Killing Cemia Dove Acoff

After a 10 day trial that started with the empaneled jury taking a trip to the crime scene where it took place, a Cuyahoga County jury found Andrey Bridges guilty of stabbing 20 year old Cemia Dove Acoff to death in January after discovering her trans status.

According to a Cleveland Plain Dealer report, the jury comprised of nine women and three men deliberated for a day before rejecting the recordings of Bridges' declarations of innocence made during his four hour police interrogation after his arrest in May.   

Acoff was called several times by Bridges on the morning of January 5, hired a taxicab to pick her up and paid the driver $100 upon her arrival at his apartment in Olmstead Township, OH.

She was never seen alive again after that date.  Later that day, two men stopped by the apartment house to pick up rent money that Bridges owed. They reported finding blood spattered in the apartment, Bridges’ hand bleeding profusely, and a bonfire burning in the yard.   

Acoff's body when found three months later was stabbed 40 times and anchored to a concrete block.  

Judge Hollie L. Gallagher has set the sentencing for next week and Bridges is facing 15 years to life for the murder conviction. 

Tampa Area Media, Read Your AP Stylebook

White I was happy about how the Tavares Spencer trial turned out in terms of being tried as an adult for his hate crime perpetrated upon Ms. McDonald, and convicted of all five charges yesterday in his attempted murder trial, one thing I was NOT happy about was the repeated misgendering in the Tampa media of Coko McDonald

Tampa Bay Times , Bradenton Herald and other area media, Coko McDonald is not a 'transgender man', 'a crossdresser', 'really a man' or a 'man dressed as a woman', she is a transgender woman and as such, feminine pronouns should have been used to describe Ms. McDonald in any story you wrote or broadcast about her.

Several Tampa area television stations weren't much better in reporting this story either and I am more than beyond sick and tired of being sick and tired of African-American trans women being disrespected in the media in life and death.  

Coko was the one who was shot and robbed by Spencer, remember Tampa media?    
 
Sigh.  Let's do this once again and review what the AP Stylebook has said since 2001 about the coverage of transgender people in the media.

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.

Translation: transgender woman=use female pronouns in story. Transgender male=use male pronouns in story.   GLAAD has a media guide you can peruse in addition to the NLGJA in case you are confused about something so simple even the GEICO caveman gets it. 

So did WPTV-TV, the NBC affiliate.  They got it.  

So let's see Tampa media if you get it right when i comes time to sentence Tavares Spencer and beyond when it comes to reporting on trans people, because this won't be the first or the last time you'll encounter a transperson as you do your jobs..

Tavares Spencer Trial-Guilty!

Looks like the attempted use of the 'trans panic' defense by his defense team failed.

Tavares Spencer was found guilty in a Tampa courtroom today of all charges including attempted 1st-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, attempted 2nd-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery in the shooting of Coko McDonald.

As soon as I find out when Spencer will be sentenced and what that sentence is, I'll definitely post it to the blog.

Laverne Cox on FXX's 'Totally Biased'

Y'all know I have much love for Laverne Cox on these TransGriot electronic pages. 

Because it happened while Computer Prime was in the shop, I'm only just getting around because of the other breaking community news to finally posting the video from her September appearance on FXX's Totally Biased show with W. Kamau Bell in which she discussed her breakout role on Orange Is The New Black and other subjects.

Enjoy the video

 

Dwight DeLee Conviction Overturned In Green Trans Hate Murder

Dwight DeLee, who was found guilty of a hate crime in the November 14, 2008 killing of Syracuse, NY trans woman Lateisha Green and sentenced to 25 years in prison, had his conviction set aside by the 4th Appellate Division of New York's Supreme Court based in Rochester.

The court ruled the conviction on Manslaughter in the First Degree as a hate crime should not stand because the jury found Dwight DeLee not guilty of Manslaughter in the First Degree without the added element of a hate crime.


The issue was raised by DeLee's defense counsel after the jury returned the July 2009 guilty verdict, but the lower court judge dismissed the jury instead of returning them to the jury room to resolve the discrepancy.

The appellate court did allow a weapons conviction to stand which means DeLee will remain in prison while the issues surrounding the manslaughter charge are resolved.

Onondaga County DA Bill Fitzpatrick indicated in a prepared statement they would appeal the ruling in the New York State Court Of Appeals.

"We are obviously extremely disappointed in the Fourth Department's decision and we plan to seek permission to appeal as soon as possible. There was nothing in the proof at trial, nor the conduct of the police or attorneys that was at issue. The Appellate Division ruled that, unfortunately, the problem in this case was a judicial error involving the trial judge's instructions to the jury and the jury's verdict based upon those instructions. We intend to ask the Court of Appeals to review this case and follow the well-written and well-reasoned dissent of Justice Erin M. Peradotto."

So stay tuned, will be keeping you TransGriot readers updated as to the latest happenings in the Green case that we thought was handled four years ago. 

And it's also a major reason why GENDA needs to be passed as soon as possible so that trans people are covered under New York hate crimes statutes on gender identity grounds.     

Speak Out and Vigil For Diamond Williams In Philly Tomorrow

For my trans family in Philadelphia and our allies, been advised by Nika Jewell, one of my Philly area TransGriot readers there will be a Speak Out and Vigil for Diamond Williams, the girl like us who was horribly murdered in the Strawberry Mansion section of the city by Charles Sargent.

There will be representatives from GALAEI’s TIP (Trans-health Information Program) and Mazzoni Center’s Trans* Wellness Project at this speak out and vigil designed to honor the name and life of our trans sister who was lost to violence, and issue a call for justice and respect.

Violence against trans women is unfortunately a harsh reality in the city of Brotherly Love as evidenced by the murders of Stacey Blahnik Lee and Kyra Cordova.

This speak out and vigil event is an opportunity for Philadelphia community members to gather, speak and organize against the violence that continues to claim and threaten the lives of transgender women in Philadelphia.

People who will be speaking at this vigil are:
Aamina Morrison– TIP Co-Director
Samantha Jo Dato – Trans* Wellness Project
Christian Axavier Lovehall – Philly Trans* March
Sade Ali –Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, Morris Home Founder
Gloria Casarez - Director of LGBT Affairs, Mayor's Office

The event will take place at LOVE Park, 1599 John F. Kennedy Blvd in Philadelphia, PA from 5:30-6:30 PM EDT.  Hope you can attend it and pay your respects to the name and memory of Diamond Williams.

Still Miss You, Tracy

June 28 will mark the second anniversary since those of us who know Tracy Bumphus were stunned to hear the news about her untimely passing.

She's hanging out with the angels now, but that still doesn't keep those of us who knew and loved her from missing her and thinking about the ways she touched our lives be it in a small or quite significant way.

I not only stumbled across this guest post in my TransGriot archives that she'd written and I posted when the TS ubermenschen separatists were running wild back in 2010, had declared me as their number two enemy (a fact I'm still chuckling about to this day) and tred to drag her name into their mess. 

Another reason Tracy is on my mind besides the upcoming anniversary of her death is because I was sent a link to a HIV/AIDS testing video that she'd done in her capacity as a program assistant at the AIDS Project of East Bay

Even though it's two years old the message is still relevant and needs to be heard.  Even better, we get to see Tracy in action doing what she always did, educating people

And yeah, this is also a reminder for you TransGriot readers to take a moment to tell the people that you love and care about in your life how much you love and care about them.  Once you or they have left this plane of existence, it's too late to do so.

Ce Ce Acoff Case Links

Ce Ce Acoff's funeral was yesterday, and as you know I've been on this story since I first got the word about our fallen transsister and how she has been grossly disrespected by the Cleveland media. 

I'm going to make it easy for you to follow the TransGriot coverage of this ongoing story by putting the links to the posts I've already written here.

Another Black Transwoman Dies And Is Dissed In The Local Media

Three More April African-American Transwoman Deaths

Acoff Murder Updates

CeCe Acoff Rally Today At 3 PM

Rally For CeCe Acoff

Y'all Must Think We're Stupid Cleveland Plain Dealer

Arrest Made In Acoff Case

Why The Negative Plain Dealer Coverage May Result In Cemia NOT Getting Justice

Rally For CeCe Acoff

The rally for Ce Ce Acoff in Cleveland that was organized by Zoe Lapin got moved to the steps of Cleveland 's City Hall yesterday on a gorgeous spring day with the trans flag flying from the City hall flag post.  

The rally was covered by several news stations who sadly continue to use the mug shot and other unflattering photo of Cemia and misgender her.

In addition to Zoe being one of the speakers for the rally that started at 3 PM EDT, another one was Cleveland City Council member Joe Cimperman, who has called the murder a hate crime.. 

Cemia lived a trouble life of acceptance,” said Councilmember Cimperman in a

news release on Wednesday. “While Cemia struggled, she did not deserve to die as what is likely a hate crime. Too often we lose loved ones because of fear or hate. Violence should not be tolerated against anyone regardless of race, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.”

If I find any video of the event I'll add it to the post...

Acoff Murder Updates

As I continue to get details about this senseless killing from people in the area, I'll post them to the blog.

Thanks to several readers, have discovered that the femme name for our fallen Cleveland sister that will be used in TransGriot stories from now on was Cemia Dove.  Cemia was also called Ce Ce by her friends and the people whose lives she touched in her all to brief 20 years on this planet.

Cleveland DJ Zoe Renee Lapin (and girl like us) was in the process organizing a rally in memory of Ce Ce.   The rally will be tomorrow May 1 at Willard Park in Cleveland at 3 PM EDT, so for any further details about this event get in contact with Zoe. 

I'm asking if anyone has nice pictures of Ce Ce, please send them to me or post them somewhere like Facebook so we trans bloggers can use something other than a mug shot for her.   That article was bad enough.   I don't want to participate (and neither do my fellow trans bloggers) in indirectly heaping more disprect on her by having the only photo of her be a fracking mug shot.

And for you peeps in the Cleveland area still pissed about not only the murder but the journalistic hate crime that happened after it, what you may wish to do is what the New York and Los Angeles trans communities did after their papers of record printed jacked up articles about deceased transpeople and refused or were recalcitrant about retracting or correcting them.

New York and Los Angeles are media centers that have GLAAD offices in both cities, so meetings were set up with their local papers of record to express their displeasure with their trans news coverage in New York and Los Angeles and suggest concrete steps to correct them.  

My suggestion to you trans peeps and allies in the Cleveland area since you don't have a GLAAD office there like the New York and LA trans communities did to help coordinate the meetings is you get in contact with your local and statewide TBLG orgs, the local NAACP chapter, your Cleveland city councilmembers, Ohio state reps and Ohio state senators, US Congressmember Marcia Fudge (D), your US Senator Sherrod Brown (D) over Ce Ce's murder and have them help you get that meeting with the Plain Dealer.  

Once you get the meeting to discuss with the Plain Dealer's managers, editors and the stenographers Caniglia and Corrigan the horrible coverage of the Ce Ce Acoff story, you point out the problems and how hurtful and triggering it was to the local, national and international trans community. 

You also get the Plain Dealer to commit to from this day forward to making immediate and long term corrections in the way they write trans stories up to and including hiring an openly trans reporter.  

Following the AP Stylebook guidelines on covering transpeople would be a mandatory minimum standard so that journalistic hate crimes like the Acoff story don't happen again to another Cleveland area trans person.  

That would be one way to honor Ce Ce's memory and ensure something positive comes out of this for the Cleveland area and Ohio trans community.

Being Trans Affects Everything

It's not a lifestyle (and I hate that conservaterm).  When you swallow those hormones or take those first shots of testosterone or estrogen, it causes seismic shifts in your life that mere cis people can't begin to comprehend.

But if we're going to gain trans human rights coverage and make transphobia as unpalatable as racism, homophobia or sexism are, we're going to have to do our best to make them understand.

The day I swallowed my first hormone I no longer had access to male privilege contrary to the ignorant lie the white privileged TERF's try to pimp.  Once my body morphed into the feminine form I will have for the rest of my life, I not only had to get used to navigating the world in it, I had to get used to becoming a moving target for sexual assault, sexism, and all the other not so fun crap aimed at women in our society. 

And I also had to get used to doing so as a Black woman, which has its own set of challenges in addition to the girl like us issues.

As Jamison Green's quote states, being trans affects everything.  It affects the paper trails in our lives.  It affects familial relationships. It affect romantic relationships.  It has a ripple effect on your friendships that you established prior to transition.  It affects your health and wellness and how you approach it.  It affects how you look at your body.  It even affects your politics and the trajectory of your own life depending on when you transition.  

While being trans hasn't been good for my bank account and purse at times, in terms of the quality of my life it has vastly improved.

There's no way in Hades I'd go back to being 'The Twin' as I call the old me.  

I have an exciting life in which I get to do public speaking, panel discussions at various conferences and colleges across the nation, radio and podcast interviews and hope to one day do international trans conferences.

I'm looked at as a respected role model and leader for this community.  I was honored with inclusion on the inaugural Trans 100 list.  I have an award winning blog that is read internationally, is considered an authoritative source of info I'm working hard to keep that way and has attracted over 4.8 million hits.

I'm way happier and more comfortable in my skin being Moni and the folks who knew me prior to 1994 can tell you the same thing. The only thing I'd change about my life is starting transition earlier. 

Being trans does affect everything, and there is more upside to that change than there is a negative downside.  And I like being a constantly evolving girl like me.

Washington DC Shelter Drops Trans Ban

Lakiesha Washington was homeless and needed help when she showed up April 3 at the John L. Young Shelter for Women.  But instead of help, because she is a girl like us she got denied entry.

An unidentified female employee at the shelter located three blocks from the US Capitol building asked Washington, “Are you a woman or a man,” the lawsuit says. “Ms. Washington replied, ‘I’m a transgender woman.’ The employee then asked Ms. Washington if she had any documentation, to which Ms. Washington replied that she did not.”

The lawsuit says the employee then told Ms. Washington, “We don’t do transgenders here. You have to leave.”

Never mind the fact this is a violation of the DC Human Rights Act that since 2005 prohibits discrimination against people based on gender identity or expression.  The John L. Young Center was dealing with a previous Office of Human Rights complaint of anti-trans discrimination filed back in February by the DC Trans Coalition's Andy Bowen that had reached the investigation and mediation stage.  

New Hope Ministries executive director John Shetterly was advised of that on March 18 by Sterling Washington, the director of the DC Office of Human Affairs according to a story in the Washington Blade and still took no action to bring the center into compliance with the DC Human Rights Act. 

The center is run by Woodbridge, VA based New Hope Ministries, but because it is receiving funding by the DC government, that makes it subject to the Act. 


The DC Trans Coalition along with Ms.Washington filed a lawsuit against the center April 5 and negotiated a temporary restraining order that allows her and future transwomen into the shelter. 

In addition, the staff of the John L. Young Center will undergo trans sensitivity training conducted by Earline Budd's organization Trans Health Empowerment and the Mayor's Office of GLBT Affairs.   Ms. Bowen will withdraw her complaint as part of the agreement and the John L. Young Center will improve the privacy of its bathrooms and showers so no one gets outed on the basis of their genitalia.

“This is a great day for all transgender people,” said Washington. “Nobody should have to face discrimination and humiliation, and thanks to this case, homeless transgender people will be now be safer.”


“DC has great nondiscrimination laws, but good laws do not equal adequate enforcement,” said Bowen. “This case showed the need for more vigilant enforcement, and if DC Trans Coalition has anything to do with it, enforcement’s gonna happen.”

And it's nice to see the arc of the moral universe quickly bending toward justice for Ms. Washingon and all trans people in the District of Colombia. 

Deja Vu Trans EMS Death In New York?

In 1995 I was horrified to hear the story of 24 year old Washington DC trans woman Tyra Hunter, who died at the hands of a transphobic EMT and a doctor who let their transphobia override their obligation and duty to provide medical care in her hour of need.

Once again I'm stunned to hear about another case happening in which a New York EMS technician is alleged to have not done his duty and allowed a trans woman to die after going into diabetic shock.

This case happened back on June 15, 2012 in New York, but we're just now hearing about what happened to 30 year old Shaun Smith because her mother Jenette Cox has filed a lawsuit alleging that EMS responders let her child die because she was trans. .

Smith started her transition and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in 2010.  She purchased estrogen, progesterone and spironolactone online and was taking them without consulting a physician.

It is alleged that after Smith complained of shortness of breath to her mother, Cox told Smith she would get her sneakers so they could go to the emergency room.  When Cox returned she found Smith unresponsive and called 911.  The ambulance arrived on the scene 10 minutes later, the EMS responders took Smith's pulse but said there was nothing they could do, according to Cox. 

Cox repeatedly asked why they were not trying to revive Smith. "They didn’t even open their equipment to try to work on him,” said Cox in the interview with the Sheepshead Bites blog. “They didn’t do nothing for my son.”

The EMS responders declared Smith dead at 4:42 AM EDT.  Court papers state Smith, who had no history of diabetes, died of diabetic ketoacidosis, which results from a shortage of insulin.

“This is somebody who needed urgent care and didn’t get it, and basically what stopped them were breasts on an originally male body,” said Ilya Novofastovsky, the attorney representing Cox in the malpractice and discrimination case against the NYPD and the FDNY, which operates the EMS.

Novofastovsky said discrimination against transgender people by emergency responders and medical workers is a nationwide problem that causes a delay or absence of care, and leads to additional suffering and even death for the patient.

Novofastovsky and Cox also named Harlem Hospital in their lawsuit, which Smith checked into on December 2011, complaining about a headache from having taken “too many diet pills,” according to the hospital report.  The medical report includes the hormones that Smith was taking at the time.

Novofastovsky alleges the hospital was also discriminatory in caring for Smith, having sent her to the mental health clinic rather than given medical care, where they might have discovered the onset of diabetes.

He points to the report from the visit, which diagnosis Smith with an “unspecified, drug induced mental disorder.”

I've written about medical transphobia and the stories of trans people who have had less than pleasant experiences not only accessing health care, but with first responders or medical personnel.  This isn't the first time less than respectful treatment of transpeople by first responders has happened in the Big Apple as this  ugly November 24,1998 incident involving transwoman Jolea Lamot bears witness to. 

It also points to the fact there is an ongoing need for Trans 101 education and training across all sectors for the medical community from medical and nursing schools to first responders and medical assistants in order to avoid another Tyra Hunter incident that could unnecessarily cost another transperson their life. 

Instigator Of CeCe McDonald Case Sentenced

'Flaherty deserves jail time and a fine for causing bodily injury to CeCe, and the trans community should not rest or let this crap slide until CeCe gets some justice out of this fracked up situation, too instead of the heaping helpings of injustice she's had to deal with.'   TransGriot  December 10, 2012 

This is the closing paragraph of the December 2012 post I wrote concerning CeCe McDonald's attacker Molly Shannon Flaherty in which I asked why were the authorities dragging their feet on the case and why was CeCe the only person doing serious jail time for standing her ground against a racist and transphobic attack aimed at her and her friend and involved a known white supremacist?.

Katrina Rose in her ENBAblog 2.0 post she wrote on December 10, 2012 as well gave us her theory into why the wheels of justice were possibly grinding so slowly in this Land of 10,000 Lakes case.

Anyone interested in wagering any money that the fine upstanding white, non-trans Molly McTransphobe (McRadphlegm, too?) Flaherty is probably a full-time lowlife who has some sort of informant/immunity deal with one or more prosecutorial authorities in the area?  Anyone interested in wagering any money on the possibility of it involving heavy-duty shit of great social and political import (read: victimless crime – probably taking notes on who sells a joint to whom in bars where people like the fine upstanding white, non-trans Molly McTransphobe (McRadphlegm, too?) Flaherty hang out?

Flaherty already had a criminal history and charges pending  from a previous March 2011 arrest before that fateful June 5, 2011 night at the Schooner Tavern.  She and her buddies decided to put the Black gay and transpeople in their place and it resulted in white supremacist Dean Schmitz's death.

The 41 year old Flaherty wasn't even arrested and charged until May 11 of last year, right about the time that loud cries were coming from around the country about the glaring fact the Black trans woman was the only one being charged and railroaded into jail for this incident.   

Flaherty pleaded guilty on January 24 to third-degree assault in Washington County Court and was sentenced Thursday.  That's a felony that carries a maximum five year prison sentence. 

Care to guess how much time she got for assaulting CeCe McDonald?    180 days in jail.  (Damn Kat, you called it.) 

Nope, that's not a typo. The justice Just-us system at work again.  Flaherty got 180 days in jail for a third degree assault she instigated and for smashing a glass in CeCe face that created a cut taking 11 stitches to close  while CeCe is spending 41 months in jail for being BTWW (Black Trans While Walking) and having the audacity to stand her ground and defend herself.

 

Kelly Young Killed In Baltimore

Another day, another report of a dead Black girl like us.   This time it is 29 year old Kelly Young of Baltimore, MD who was shot and killed.

Police responded to a report of a shooting early Wednesday morning in the 2200 block of Barclay Street.  Thy found Kelly inside the home and rushed her to a nearby hospital where she died.

Last night family and friends got together to remember her life and call for the killer to be brought to justice.



 
“It’s too early in the investigation to call this a hate crime,” said Sergeant Eric Kowalczyk, LGBT Liaison for the Baltimore City Police Department.

This one is in the early investigative stages too, so if you live in the area and heard or saw something, please call the Baltimore City Police Department Homicide Division with that information at (410) 396-2100.

Rest in peace Kelly.  Here's hoping that the waste of DNA who committed this crime will be swiftly captured and brought to justice. 

Black Trans Woman Killed In Florida And Subsequently Misgendered By The Media

Here we fracking go again.   This time this all too familiar situation shifts to Orlando, FL  

30 year old Ashley Sinclair was found shot to death early this morning in a wooded area on Rio Grande Drive just off S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orange County.   Police responded to neighbors calling 911 at 6 AM EDT reporting shots fired in the 1600 block of Nimrod Lane. 

A neighbor said they saw a black sedan pull up and then heard four shots fired.

“I look out my window. I see black car here. Then I hear ‘boom, boom, boom.’ Four,” said neighbor Ramon.   Deputies searched the woods and knocked on doors to get any information.


“This is an obvious victim of a homicide. They have been out canvassing the area to see if they’ve seen anything. They do have the victim identified, but have not notified the next of kin yet,” said Jeff Williamson with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information regarding this homicide investigation that will lead to the capture and conviction of the wastes of DNA who did this is urged to call  CrimeLine at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
Now that we got that business out of the way regarding another fallen trans sister and hopefully gotten the process started toward bringing the people who killed her to justice, let me start calling out the misgendering of another African-American transwoman by the media.  But before I go off, let's review the AP Stylebook guidelines for reporting on trans people shall we?

    

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 way the individuals live publicly.

I can't tell you how many posts I've written on this blog about media outlets all over the country REPEATEDLY failing to grasp what is so simple a concept to follow that even this humble blogger gets something Amanda Evans and the award winning journalists at News13 in the Orlando, FL area didn't   

Take a look at the photo the family provided of Ashley.  She is not a 'transgender man' as you reported, Amanda.  A transgender man is someone who was born in a female body like yours and whose gender identity and gender presentation to the world is male.  

Ashley is a transgender female.   

And I'm pissed off not only because once again another one of my trans sisters is gone from this Earth too soon, I'm pissed off because she was misgendered in this report.    I'm also angry because I've seen this crap happen with African-American (and Latina) girls like us far too often in the media.

Now lets see how long it's going to take for your award winning website to correct this misgendering of Ashley Sinclair.