Trans Woman In Memphis Brutally Attacked

Here we frakking go again with yours truly having to report another instance of a trans woman of color being attacked

This time it happened in Memphis to Alexia Dupree Taylor, and as usual the police are issuing the standard 'It isn't a hate crime' line we're sick of hearing.

How does someone get stabbed and hit with a brick if it's 'just a robbery'?   Wake up and smell the transphobic violence in this attack.

The homeless Taylor was found on the ground Wednesday bleeding with head injuries behind a Midtown Memphis church at 69 North Cleveland St. according to a news report.

Taylor told Memphis police she was behind a building, a block away from the church, when someone dragged her down stairs and robbed her. After stealing a purse, the robber stabbed Taylor and hit her in the head with a brick.  She was taken by medical personnel to Regional Medical Center wher is was later upgraded to critical condition.  

Her friend James Houston said something in the article that I concur with: "I really believe that if she would have been in a place where she could call home, she would not [have been attacked],"

Here's hoping that Alexia not only recovers quickly and finds a home, but she receives justice when the waste of DNA who did this to her is captured.

Trans Latina Killed In Memphis

Well people, it has unfortunately happened again.  We have lost another one of our trans sisters and her name is Alejandra Leos.   This time it happened in Memphis, TN on Friday, just steps away from her North Memphis home in the 1600 block of Berkshire St.   According to news reports the 41 year old Leos was shot around 8 PM CDT on Friday.   




The Memphis PD arrested and charged 21 year old Marshall Pegues with first degree murder in what appears to be a domestic violence case.   Pegues and Leos had an argument at their home prior to Pegues shooting her in the back.

Hopefully Pegues will be expeditiously tried and convicted for this crime and justice will be served.     

Leos' funeral is planned for Wednesday, September 10 between 5:00-8:00 PM CDT at Hickory Hill Funeral Home.  Address of the funeral  home is 5270 Knight Arnold Rd, Memphis, TN 38118 and their phone number is (901) 795-6688.  Family members are asking for those who would like to help with funeral expenses to contact the funeral home directly.  

I hope that members of the Memphis trans community can attend and show the family some love during this difficult time.

Unfortunately Alejandra will be another one of the names we'll have to read at this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial ceremony this November.  

Rest in power and peace, sis.

Memphis Passes Inclusive Non-Discrimination Law

It wasn't looking good for this to happen last month after word leaked of an alleged secret deal to cut transpeeps out of the civil rights mix.

But the Memphis City Council did the proper civil rights thing and passed on a 9-4 vote an inclusive non-discrimination ordinance that has protections for disability, age, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation and ethnicity.

It was sexual orientation only until Councilwoman Janis Fullilove proposed an amendment to the ordinance that added protections on the basis of gender identity that also passed 9- 4.

The only "no" votes on the gender identity amendment and the main motion to amend the city's nondiscrimination ordinance came from Memphis council people Wanda Halbert, Bill Boyd, Kemp Conrad, and Joe Brown.

And thanks to all the hate calls conservative Councilmember Reid Hedgepeth received because he voted in favor of the ordinance last time, he voted for this one as well.   Hedgepeth told the audience that harassment and robo-calls from the amendment's opposition, the Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) had only strengthened his resolve to vote in favor of the amendment again.

"One e-mail said 'I hope you and your family burn in hell together.' How is that for Christianity?" Hedgepeth asked.

Thank you FACT haters for flipping a vote to our side.

It was delayed 30 days to get legal opinions on whether it would violate the city charter. City Attorney Herman Morris gave an opinion that the ordinance would not violate the charter because it would strengthen an existing policy to prevent discrimination while the City Council Attorney asserted the proposed ordinance was unnecessary.



The 9-4 vote in favor of the ordinance set off celebrations amongst the Memphis rainbow community while the haters of the Family Action Council of Tennessee slunk out of the chamber in defeat.

The arc of the moral universe is bending toward justice for the TBLG community in Memphis this morning and I couldn't be happier for my trans brothers and sisters who live there.    .