Two People Arrested In Maya Young Murder Case

That was fast.   Two people have been arrested by Philadelphia PD in connection with the fatal stabbing death of Maya Young.

19 year old Jose Pena and 24 year old Tiffany Floyd  were arrested this week and charged with murder and conspiracy in Young's death.

Floyd was denied bail and is being held pending her scheduled March 16 hearing at 9 AM in Room 306 of the Criminal Justice Center.

Pena was also denied bail, but is being held in a juvenile facility.   His hearing is scheduled at 9 AM in Room 306 of the Criminal Justice Center on March 23.   In case you Philly area peeps wish to witness the proceedings in either case, the Criminal Justice Center is located at 1301 Filbert St.

Will be checking on this case to see if our fallen sister receives justice .  

Canada's First Trans Judge Sworn In

Kael McKenzie made Canadian history yesterday when he was sworn in as the country's first transgender judge after being appointed to that position by a independent judicial nominating committee in December.

The 44 year old McKenzie is not only the first ever trans judge in Canada and the province of Manitoba but is possibly the first out trans masculine judge on the planet.

He is also of First Nations descent.

"I'm just one example of many of my colleagues and people who are attaining certain levels of notoriety that can show people we are just people." McKenzie said in a December interview. "We are just doing what everyone else does and we can achieve whatever we want with hard work and dedication."

After serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and graduating with his law degree from the University of Manitoba in 2006, he transitioned in 2011, served as a prosecuting Crown attorney for five years and in private practice before getting his history making appointment to the Manitoba provincial court bench on December 17.

McKenzie has also been active in the TBLGQ and legal communities as a member of the Canadian Bar Association  and the news about his appointment has been overwhelmingly positive.

"This is something to be celebrated," said Ken Champagne, the Manitoba Provincial Court's Chief Justice.

Yes it is.   Congratulations to Judge McKenzie, and I hope to see many more Canadian trans folks making history

Say Hello To UK Judge Dr. Victoria McCloud

We have two trans judges here in the United States in Victoria Kolakowski of California and Houston's own Phyllis Frye, and Canada's first one in Kael McKenzie in Manitoba.

Was pleased to discover that across The Pond in the UK, we now have a trans judge sitting on the bench there in Dr. Victoria McCloud.

She has declined to speak publicly about her history making status, but she is at age 46 the youngest person to ever become a High Court Master judge and has presided over some high profile cases since her appointment in 2010.. .

While she may be reluctant to talk about it, a British judiciary spokesperson told the Daily Mail that 'British courts have an increasingly diverse workforce, and now judges come from all walks of life reflecting society in general.'

The British courts finally reflect one segment of British society in the transgender community, and by doing so, may be inspiring the next generation of British trans kids to dream big and follow those dream..

Murderer Of Melony Smith Convicted

Some good news coming out of southern California concerning our fallen trans sister Melony Smith

A Pomona Superior Court jury found 30 year old Stephen Gonzales guilty of first degree murder in the September 9, 2013 death of 26 year old Melony Smith.

The article has some problematic violations of the AP Stylebook in using Smith's deadname, describing her life as a 'lifestyle'.

But back to the post.

She was found dead at 1:30 PM PDT in her Baldwin Park motel room where she had been staying off and on for a year.

While Gonzales escaped being eligible for capital punishment when the jury found him not guilty of robbing Smith, they did find him guilty of petty theft.

Gonzales is facing a 25 years to life sentence when he returns to court on February 11 for sentencing. Hope they throw the book at his behind.

Josh Vallum Charged In Mercedes Williamson Murder

17 year old Mercedes Williamson was the youngest of 21 trans people murdered in the US last year, and her alleged killer will be on trial in a few weeks.

28 year old Josh Vallum is a known member of the Latin Kings gang who has been incarcerated since he was arrested June 2 for Williamson's brutal murder.  Williamson's partially decomposed remains were found on Vallum's father's property in Rocky Creek, MS on June 1 after she went missing on May 30.

And as you probably guessed, the two have known each other for nine to eleven months. While she lived in Theodore, AL, her home address was in George County.

A George County, MS .grand jury indicted Vallum for Williamson's murder back on July 29 with the trial set to start on February 1.  If he is convicted, he faces life in prison with the possibility of parole at age 65..

We'll stay tuned to this case to see if Mercedes receives justice in this case..  

Note To KY Bigots: Don't Yell The N-Word At A Black Judge

We're barely six days into 2016 and we already have vanillacentric privileged white guys showing their asses and jockeying for SUF honors.

The latest example came in my old Louisville stomping grounds in Kentucky Circuit Court Judge Olu Stevens court..   He was elected to the 30th Judicial Court seat in Louisville in 2010 and was unopposed in his 2014 reelection campaign for an eight year term that doesn't expire until January 1, 2023.

Stevens is one of the few African-American judges in the commonwealth of Kentucky, and has had to deal with his share of racist commentary from people transiting his Louisville area courtroom.

He is also not 'scurred' to tell it like it T-I-S is either.   He chided one person for writing some problematic racist comments in a victim impact statement.  He has criticized all white juries for trials involving Black defendants in a Louisville that is 25% African-American.

And on Monday, the latest instance in which he has faced racism in his courtroom happened.

Adam Satterly was facing the legal music in front of Judge Stevens for violating the terms of his bond on multiple methamphetamine charges.  
As he was being taken into custody, Satterly uttered the audible to many observers in the courtroom comment of "punk azz n----r",

He was immediately brought back before Judge Stevens, and realizing he'd screwed up, tried to claim he was speaking to his brother.  Judge Stevens wasn't buying that excuse, held Satterly in contempt of court and gave him a 60 day sentence for it.   After Satterly apologized the next day to him in his courtroom, he commuted the sentence to time served.

And what did we learn here Kentucky bigots?  If you get in legal trouble and find yourself in front of a Black judge, it would be wise of you to keep your racist commentary to yourself..

So When Does it Become 'Offensive' For A Trans Woman To Bare Her Chest?

Back in 2011 I wrote about the case of Andrea Jones, who bared her chest to protest Tennessee's refusal to change the gender marker on her driver's license despite despite having genital surgery and was arrested for indecent exposure despite the state of Tennessee's refusal to change the gender marker on her birth certificate.

The police report when Ms. Jones was arrested at the time misgendered her. “Mr. Jones continued to yell that he had the right to show his breasts in public,” it read, “and wanted to be recognized as a female.”

The issue also cropped up when supermodel Andreja Pejic, during the androgynous modeling phase of her career, was bare chested on a 2011 cover of Dossier magazine that Barnes & Noble stated they would only stock on its shelves if the magazine was in an opaque cover

Well, the passage of four years hasn't made the issue go away. It's a question that is being asked again because of that sexist double standard on Facebook and Instagram that allows men to bare their nippled chests but women cannot show theirs.

The exceptions to the policy are women breastfeeding, showing breasts with post mastectomy scarring, and sculptures and art featuring nude bodies

And it's being challenged by 24 year old Canadian trans woman Courtney Demone.   In a Guardian interview she asks, "So at what point in my breast development do I need to cover my nipples?  I already feel shameful about them being visible, but at what point does society say it's unacceptable for them to be out?"

The Facebook and Instagram community standards policy removes images of genitalia and of women's breasts, but not of bare chested men.

Demone campaign is another arm of the #FreeTheNipple movement started by actor and producer Lina Esco, that seeks to challenge societal and social media censorship of women's bodies and desexualize the portrayal of women's nipples in Western society.

It's a campaign that public figures such as Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Cara Delevigne, Rumer Willis and Miley Cyrus have lent their support to.

For transkind, it's a question that goes to the core of our identities, and it is one that both trans men and trans women face.  At what point does it become acceptable for a trans man to bare his chest, and at what point does the societal script flip for trans women and it becomes unacceptable for us to not be able to?

Champion Gets Life For Killing Ty Underwood

It only took the jury 45 minutes to determine in the punishment phase of the trial yesterday that 21 year old Carlton Champion, Jr would be spending the rest of his life in jail for the murder of his onetime girlfriend Ty Underwood.

After several hours of testimony, the jury retired to the deliberation room around 2:15 PM and returned at 3:30 to let Champion and the world know his fate.

The jury sentenced Champion to 5 to 99 years in prison with a fine of up to $10,000.  Guess that little outburst Thursday in court after the verdict was read cost you, homes.

So naw, you won't be back on the streets, you'll be in a TDC facility until at least until 2045 when you'll be eligible for parole.

Of course, he plans to appeal his sentence, but he definitely won't be on the streets for a while.

Champion Found Guilty In Ty Underwood Murder

There's good news coming out of Tyler this Christmas season concerning one of our fallen trans sisters who was taken away from us earlier this year.

On Tuesday the trial of 21 year old former Texas College football player Carlton Ray Champion, Jr. commenced in Tyler for the January 26 murder of girl like us Ty Underwood.

Champion and Underwood had been in a relationship, and text messages indicate the pair had been arguing several hours before Underwood was found shot to death in her vehicle near the Texas College campus.

The trial lasted three days with the state calling several witnesses.  Champion's defense attorney Melvin Thompson rested his case without calling any witnesses, but asserted at the beginning of the trial they arrested the wrong person.

Champion's defense attorney asserted in his closing statement that the state lacked the evidence to convict his client.

"Not a single police officer got up on the stand and testified that any evidence connected Champion," he said. " The police didn't let the facts lead them to the suspect.   They got a suspect and then tried to find evidence."

Prosecuting attorney Jacob Putnam in his closing statement, went into detail about the dating relationship between Champion and Underwood, and her trans status.

"This case is not about convicting Champion because of his lifestyle or who he hung out with," said Putnam. "This case is about convicting Champion because he killed Ty Underwood."

After deliberating the case for two hours, the jury found Champion guilty of first degree murder.

After the guilty verdict was read, Champion had to be restrained by Smith County deputies after he shouted "I'll be back on the streets."

We'll see about that, homes. The jury still isn't finished with your behind yet/and you have previous brushes with the law.

The punishment phase of the trial starts at 9:30 AM CST, and Champion is facing life in prison.   Here's hoping you get to do some serious time for ending Ty Underwood's too brief life.

Ty Underwood Murder Trial Starts In Tyler

After a delay because the defense attorney's motion for more time to prepare a defense for his client was granted, the trial of 21 year old Carlton Champion, Jr, the alleged killer and former boyfriend of Ty Underwood got started in Tyler Tuesday.

KYTX CBS19.tv - News, Weather,


The 24 year old Underwood was killed back in January, and Champion was arrested January 29 and charged with first degree murder.  His defense attorney is trying to claim that police have the wrong guy, while prosecutors say otherwise.

Let's hope we get an early Christmas present of justice for Ty.

911 Call Proves Taylor Was Arrested For Existing While Trans

I've made the point more than a few times that mismatched ID's and statutory and procedural roadblocks that prevent trans folks from getting identification that matches their present day lives can lead (and far too often does) to anti-trans discrimination.

It appears based on the transcript from the 911 call in the Meagan Taylor case, that is exactly what happened.

Meagan Taylor with the help of the ACLU, has filed a civil rights complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission over an incident in which she and her trans feminine friend Shyann were both transphobically disrespected and falsely profiled back in July after checking in at a Drury Inn in West Des Moines, IA enroute to driving to a funeral in Kansas City.  The manager called the police and it resulted in Taylor spending 8 days in jail  

The 911 call emphatically backs up Taylor's story.

911 Dispatcher: Communications, this is Holly.
Hotel manager: Yeah, hi, Holly, this is Kim, the general manager over at Drury Inn & Suites. And I have somebody that is a little unusual that is checking into the hotel, and I didn’t know if there was any way to possibly run their name or information through the database. They’re dressed as a woman, but it’s a man’s driver’s license.
Dispatcher: Okay, I can send an officer, but I can’t do it over the phone. What’s your address there?
Hotel manager: It’s 5505 Mills Civic Parkway. I’d want it to be discreet though.
Dispatcher: Okay, well, um, I can’t do it on the phone, that’s the only thing. It’s against the law. So I can have someone come over. Where — are they in the lobby there, or?
Hotel manager: They went up to the room and stuff. So I guess if they just kind of discreetly park in the parking lot, instead of, you know, right out front, that would be great.
Dispatcher: Well, I’ll leave that up to them. But, what’s your number phone number, Kim?
Hotel manager: It’s (515) 457-9500.
Dispatcher: Okay, so that’s a female, with a male’s driver’s license.
Hotel manager: There’s two males, but they’re dressed as females. And they have Illinois driver’s license.
Dispatcher: And are they — what are their driver’s licenses? Male or female?
Hotel manager: Male. And I took pictures with my camera, so.
Dispatcher: Okay, so just because they’re dressed as — is it because they’re dressed as females, is that why you’re concerned?
Hotel manager: Um, It’s just, you know, it’s, I guess so. They’re dressed a little bit over the top, too. I just want to make sure they’re not hookers either.
Dispatcher: Okay, gotcha. Okay, ma’am, we’ll have them swing over there.
Hotel manager: Perfect. Thank you.
Dispatcher: Bye bye.
Hotel manager: Bye bye.

Here's hoping that justice is served in Meagan's case.

Pemberton Found Guilty In Jennifer Laude Murder

It took a while, but a verdict has finally been reached in the Jennifer Laude murder case in the Philippines.

The good news is that US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Pemberton has been found guilty of killing Laude by the Olongapo Regional Trial Court.  The bad news it was for homicide instead of first degree murder.

Looks like he parlayed the 'trans panic' defense into reduced charges and time in jail.  He was sentenced to 6-12 years in a Philippine prison for it with credit for time already served.

WTF?  Pemberton admitted during his August testimony that he choked her unconscious after finding out that she was trans feminine during a sexual encounter in a motel on October 11, 2014.   He claimed Laude was alive when he left her in the hotel room, but she was found with her head dunked in a toilet bowl.

Laude's mother Julita stated in an interview that while she is pleased the verdict detailed everything that happened that night, she was not pleased about the sentence and hoped Pemberton would be found guilty of murder.

But she said, "The important thing is he will be jailed."

Yeah, but I'm still not happy Pemberton is only getting 12 years for killing one of our sisters.

After Six Years, Nikki Wins!

After six long years, the unjust ruling of GOP judge Randy Clapp has been remanded and Nikki Araguz Loyd has finally won her landmark Araguz v Delgado marriage case!

She and her hubby William Loyd traveled the 90 miles from H-town to the Wharton County courthouse to pick up the court order at 1;30 PM CST.   It was also apropos that it was karmically happening on TDOR.

Nikki's major concern before her arrival in Wharton was whether Judge Clapp would sign it.  But after she arrived at the courthouse, she happily discovered that the final order had been autographed by him and was ready for pickup.

Congrats Nikki on this one huge step for you, but one gigantic legal leap for transkind and the marriage rights of all trans people in Texas!

Cis Woman Misgendered In Detroit Restaurant Suing

It's actually old news, but in light of the injustice that happened here Tuesday, I'm expecting it to happen here soon in the wake of all the lies unleashed by the haters in this HERO campaign.

It points out the absurdity of 'bathroom bills' like the one proposed and that thankfully died in committee in this 2015 Texas legislative session by GOP state reps Debbie Does Discrimination Riddle, and Gilbert 'Don't Want Them Transkids To Pee' Pena.

Lexie Cannes reports about an ugly situation that took place at Detroit's Fishbone's Rhythm Kitchen Cafe in Detroit's Greektown area back in June in which 30 year old Cortney Bogorad was jacked up by a security guard who deputized himself to be a gender policeman, accused her of being a 'boy', and alleges he violently carried her through the restaurant and threw her to the ground outside the restaurant..

On June 23 she and her attorney David Pontes filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court after attempts to mediate this incident were unsuccessful.

"The bottom line is I know my gender better than anyone else and I'm going to walk into the right restroom," said Bogorad. "Even when I was questioned, I tried to provide my ID. It shouldn't have gone any further than that."

Nope it shouldn't have.  But because FOX Noise and the conservafool movement have now decided to demonize the trans community, the unintended consequences of that anti-trans hate will unfortunately fall on women like Bogorad who don't fit society's ideas of what a woman should look like.

British Trans Woman May Not Be Getting Locked Up With The Cis Boys

One of the problems we have had when trans women have been incarcerated for law violations is that far too many prisons operate based on the genitalia you possess and not gender presentation

For trans women, that is a problem that leads to them being mistreated by guards and inmates alike and walking targets for sexual assault. Combine that with a documentation issue, and you have a recipe for disaster

26 year old British trans woman Tara Hudson was harshly sentenced by magistrates in Bath to 12 weeks in the all male Bristol prison after admitting to headbutting a bar manager.   Never mind the fact that she has been on hormones, lived as Tara for six years, had reconstructive surgery, and been declared by her medical doctor as a woman.   But because she doesn't have a Gender Recognition Certificate, a document that confers legal recognition of her gender and it time consuming and expensive to get, she is facing having to do time in a prison in which according to an inspection report, levels of violence have risen since the last inspection and not enough was done to protect vulnerable prisoners.

And we can visualize the hell that would ensure for her if she was thrown into that situation.

After 122,000 people around the world signed a Change.org petition asking for Hudson to be moved to a women's prison, that request is not only being considered, but her case is being reviewed.

Her mother is hoping that the sentence will be reduced so that she can spend it at home on an electronic monitoring tag.

But Hudson should have never been put in this dangerous situation in the first place. It's time for Britain to listen to its trans citizens and consider changes in the 2004 Gender Recognition Act hat would allow self declaration of gender identity without the bureaucratic hoops and fiscal burdens that come with the current policy.

TransGriot Update:  Hudson will be transferred to a women's prison to serve her sentence. 

Trial Postponed For Accused Murderer Of Ty Underwood

Right on the heels of the bad news we received out of Dallas in the Tovar case comes word from Smith County east of Dallas.

Jury selection in the trial of 21 year old Carlton Ray Champion, Jr has been postponed and the trial date continued until December.  

Champion was arrested January 29 on a parole violation in Gregg County, transferred to Smith County and charged with first degree murder in the killing of 24 year old Ty Underwood.

Underwood and Champion had been dating prior to her murder

Champion's defense attorney asked the judge for more time to prepare a defense in the murder case. and the request was granted.

We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this case as it develops to see if Ty gets justice, or like Kenney, Carlton Champion gets off for killing a trans woman.

Nikki Araguz Loyd Gets Another Legal Win At SCOTX!

It's another great day for Nikki Araguz Loyd in a Texas courtroom as the Texas Supreme Court in Austin ruled in her favor in her ongoing case to reinstate her marriage to her late husband Thomas Araguz III.

In the last update, she had a big win at the Texas 13th Appeal Court level in Corpus Christi that not only reversed Judge Randy Clapp's (R) unjust order that invalidated her marriage, but struck a what may be fatal blow to the Littleton v Prange case.

It also sent the case back to Judge Clapp's court where we hope the arc of the moral and legal universe will continue bending toward justice for her and the Texas trans community.

The case was appealed to the all GOP dominated Texas Supreme Court by the Delgado legal team, and in a ruling that came back today that was a wonderful surprise for her and the Texas trans community , the SCOTX without comment denied hearing their petition.

Translation, the ruling of the Texas 13th Court of Appeals stands.

Of course, when I talked to an obviously happy Nikki Araguz Loyd about her latest legal win, she said, "I'm elated that the Texas Supreme Court saw fit to do the right thing in my case.   It gets us past another major  hurdle and one step closer to the Lone Star State recognizing the transitioned gender identity of trans people."

I hope and pray that is the case as well.

Parents Try Suing To Stop Adult Child From Having SRS

In our WTF news of the day, was alerted to a situation in which the parents of Christine Kitzler tried to sue in a last ditch attempt by them to stop their 48 year grown azz child from undergoing SRS

Kitzler was in Pennsylvania from her home in South Carolina to get the gender confirmation surgery done after 16 months of pre-operative preparation, the prerequisite psychological clearances and a 24 hour fast before the scheduled Tuesday procedure was halted by her parents lawsuit.

Angela Giampolo, Christine's attorney said she had never seen competency invoked in order to block a gender reassignment surgery, and that Kitzler's parents were trying to prevent Christine from living an authentic life .

"This isn't a competency hearing.  This isn't a guardianship hearing. This is a difference of opinion,." said the prominent Philadelphia based TBLG rights attorney.  

Judge C.Theodore Fritsch agreed and denied their request, saying Klaus and Ingrid Kitzler had failed to provide clear and convincing evidence that guardianship was necessary.  Judge Fritsch also denied their motion for an independent medical exam.

Of course Christine was happy with the decision rendered by the court and is moving forward with the planned procedure.  

Good luck with your SRS Christine and may you have a speedy and complication free recovery from it.

Arrest Made In India Clarke Case

There has been an arrest made in the India Clarke case.

18 year old Tampa resident Keith Gaillard turned himself in to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office on July 28.  He has been charged with one count of first-degree murder, and one count of possession of a firearm.

Police investigators have declined to cite a motive in the case (transphobic hate) but believe that he knew the 25 year old Clarke, who was found dead on July 21 from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Detectives found a fingerprint on a cigar wrapper inside Clarke's car, and Gaillard's public Facebook profile allegedly showed him showing off a small-caliber revolver, the sheriff's office said. .

Will keep y'all updated as to whether justice is served in this case.

Italy Becomes Sixth Nation To Allow Trans Self Identification Without Surgery

Thanks to a recent Italian Supreme Court ruling, Italy has now become the fifth nation to acknowledge that trans people have the right to self identify without requiring genital surgery or medical intervention.

Italy now joins Argentina, Denmark, Malta, Portugal and Ireland in doing so.

The landmark ruling overturned adverse lower level  court cases and makes it clear that the official gender record can be amended without surgery or sterilization.

The plaintiff in the case was a now 45 year old trans woman who in 1999 was granted permission to undergo genital surgery but decided over time that surgical intervention wasn't necessary.to get social recognition as a  woman.

Burt a tribunal in Piacenza and the Appeal court in Bologna both said no prior to her win at the Italian Supreme Court level.

The Court stated:   The desire to align body and spirit is, even in the absence of surgical intervention, the result of a very personal journey to gender identity, supported by a range of medical and psychological treatments that will vary according to individual personality and need.

‘The moment of truth is deeply influenced by individual characteristics.

‘Ultimately, it can only be the end result of a process of self-determination towards the goal of a change of sex.’

The Court also stated in their landmark ruling: ‘The complexity of the route, which encompasses a plurality of medical treatments (including hormonal and aesthetic) as well as psychological further illustrates how that right is central to the expression of individual and social personality and social, insofar as a proper balance is to be struck between the public interest… and the limits of our legal system.

The Italian Supreme Court ruling comes one week after Ireland passed legislation to allow trans people there to self identify without surgical intervention.   It is also increasing pressure on France and Great Britain to follow suit.

At any rate, it's a wonderful day for our Italian trans cousins.   As for when it will happen in the United States, I'm not holding my breath with science denying Republicans in control of Congress right now. 

TransGriot Note:  Initial photo is of Italian girl like us actress Vittoria Schisano.  She wasn't the plaintiff in this case, but is the most well known Italian trans woman right now.