By Sabrina Samone, TMP
January was a month full of news that made national headlines, bringing trans issues to the dinner tables of America. While we were focused on the tube or reading the news online, everything from the Leelah Alcorn tragedy to the momentous speech by our POTUS, four transgender women of color were murdered. Also, it should be noted that these are the four we are aware of or that the occasional transphobic mainstream media deemed worthy of mentioning.
This past weekend, Michelle Yasmin Payne was found stabbed to death in her Los Angeles home. The murder was extremely violent by the report given that she suffered multiple stab wounds, indicated extreme anger and hate.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, firefighters were sent around 5:00 p.m. Friday to the 14600 block of Saticoy Street, near Woodman Avenue, for report of a structure fire.
Once on scene, crews forced entry into a apartment, and quickly extinguished a small fire located in the rear bedroom.
Authorities said they then located a victim, identified as Yazmin Vash Payne, lying on the floor of the kitchen suffering from several stab wounds.
Payne is among a list of too many trans women of color being murdered across the country. Only a couple of weeks ago, Lamia Beard, 31, in Norfolk, Virginia, and Ty Underwood, 24, of Tyler, Texas, were both fatally shot a mere nine days apart on January 17 and January 26. In addition, a recent report confirms that earlier this month on Jan. 9, another transgender woman, Ms. Edwards*, 20, was shot in killed in a Kentucky motel room. Louisville police believe that 20-year-old Henry Richard Gleaves is a suspect in Edwards’s murder. Also, in the Bronx , a 20 year old transgender woman, Josselyn Diaz, was walking with her friend Amanda Miese , when she was approached by a group of people. One of the men in the group had a bat. Ms. Diaz says the “the man swung the bat at my face and I blocked it”. The bat hit Ms. Diaz’s arm.
As if the hurt of their deaths were not enough for a society to deal with, it’s also important to point out that what’s also angering Trans advocates is the way that the media has covered these murders. They have consistently gone against the Associated Press Style Guide utilizing police reports and statements that refer to these women as “men,” using mug shots of the dead victims as art for articles and blaming the victims for their own deaths by mentioning past arrests for sex work.
“Language and images really matter when reporting on cases like these and journalists should know better, and yet they are taking their cues from the police who continue to misgender and disrespect,” Monica Roberts, award-winning blogger for TransGriot, told BET.com.
But why so many hate filled murders of African American Trans Women? As the President of America mentioned transgender society for the first time in history, and with the national NAACP reaching out more to the transgender community, it has yet to reach the streets of America. One of the contributors to the murder of these five women is the hate filled speech by an African American preacher. Jack Ass of the Week, David Manning, who says in his speech he is not filled with hate but instead created his own version of the bible, which is a crime against God. David Manning has shown the heights of bigoted ignorance as he makes the statement that Justin Bieber had his breasts removed. This man is so full of misinformation and hate he is literally creating his own reality to justify it. Think it's funny? Well the speeches of such like David Manning are the direct contributors of the five gruesome murders of these Trans women of color and is equal to the hangings of black men by the KKK before the Civil Rights Movement. I hold people like him responsible and ask our government why people like this are not considered terriosts in sighting hate and murder?
If that wasn't enough, it seems the days of Jerry Springer are back. This time it's name is Kardashian. Yes, I know many within the community are divided on their support of Bruce Jenner. I could care less if Bruce Jenner is or isn't trans, to me that's not even the issue, but bringing his and the Kardashian brand of explanation through another reality series is not educating the people or supporting the community. The Kardashian clan, especially Bruce Jenner who was recently divorced and had to pay millions to ex-wife, are now on a quest to make a dollar and make a public joke of transitioning.
I am not saying his transition is valid or not. No one within our community, unless they personally know him, can. Only him. What I am saying is why make it into another cheesy controversial reality series for a buck. Don't forget his own daughter publicly married someone for a million dollar ratings. These people are beyond any real concern over the daily lives other transgender people must live. No, Bruce Jenner would like to make a ratings buck, get his name back in the papers, and be relevant once again. He could fucking care less about the transgender community. If he did, why is his first response is to make another reality series? Why not go on the road, appear with other trans people and begin to politically advocate for his or her desired rights? It does not take a genius to look at the contribution the kardashians have made to the uplifting of American society, absolutely fucking zero!!!
And I will not change my opinion!!!!
Fortunately there is some bright spots in our society this week. A bill was introduced on Thursday in the US houses of Congress which seeks to promote the rights of LGBT people around the globe. The International Human Rights Defense Act was introduced by Democrats Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Representative Alan Lowenthal of California.
Anna Grodzka was elected as a Member of Parliament in Poland in 2011, in what is usually a notoriously conservative country.
According to Newsweek Poland, the politician confirmed her plans to run for President later this year for the Polish Green party.
She said: “Yes, I’ll be a presidential candidate.”
A funding campaign has been started to create the frist Trans/queer talent agency. awQward is a brand new organization that is the first ever trans & queer people of color specific talent agency. What many trans & queer artists of color know is that often it is hard to get your work out there when we are reliant upon agencies that may not understand the cultural and personal value of what we bring to the table. At awQward, we are striving to make space for trans & queer artists and leaders of color that have been putting their energy into creating amazing movements. We want you to help us support and sustain the work these individuals are doing so we can uplift not just them, but other potential change makers that may not be able to see themselves reflected in the narratives that are portrayed in mainstream art spaces.
A White House petition to ban so-called LGBT conversion therapy received more than 100,000 signatures this week, meaning President Barack Obama's administration must formally respond to the request.
Written in the wake of trans teen Leelah Alcorn's highly publicized suicide late last year, the petition proposes a federal statute dubbed "Leelah's Law" that would require all states to end efforts by therapists to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, alternately known as "conversion," "reparative," or "ex-gay" therapy.
Finally great news from the leading LGBT organization, GLAAD, who has proven their support for the transgender community. Now is acknowledging yet again and celebrate Black History Month.
We hope and can only pray that we continue to fix society, stop the murder of Trans women of color and educate ignorant evil preachers speaking blasphemy in the name of God.
RELATED TOPICS ON TRANSMUSEPLANET
Trans World News 1-24-15
January was a month full of news that made national headlines, bringing trans issues to the dinner tables of America. While we were focused on the tube or reading the news online, everything from the Leelah Alcorn tragedy to the momentous speech by our POTUS, four transgender women of color were murdered. Also, it should be noted that these are the four we are aware of or that the occasional transphobic mainstream media deemed worthy of mentioning.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, firefighters were sent around 5:00 p.m. Friday to the 14600 block of Saticoy Street, near Woodman Avenue, for report of a structure fire.
Once on scene, crews forced entry into a apartment, and quickly extinguished a small fire located in the rear bedroom.
Authorities said they then located a victim, identified as Yazmin Vash Payne, lying on the floor of the kitchen suffering from several stab wounds.
Payne is among a list of too many trans women of color being murdered across the country. Only a couple of weeks ago, Lamia Beard, 31, in Norfolk, Virginia, and Ty Underwood, 24, of Tyler, Texas, were both fatally shot a mere nine days apart on January 17 and January 26. In addition, a recent report confirms that earlier this month on Jan. 9, another transgender woman, Ms. Edwards*, 20, was shot in killed in a Kentucky motel room. Louisville police believe that 20-year-old Henry Richard Gleaves is a suspect in Edwards’s murder. Also, in the Bronx , a 20 year old transgender woman, Josselyn Diaz, was walking with her friend Amanda Miese , when she was approached by a group of people. One of the men in the group had a bat. Ms. Diaz says the “the man swung the bat at my face and I blocked it”. The bat hit Ms. Diaz’s arm.As if the hurt of their deaths were not enough for a society to deal with, it’s also important to point out that what’s also angering Trans advocates is the way that the media has covered these murders. They have consistently gone against the Associated Press Style Guide utilizing police reports and statements that refer to these women as “men,” using mug shots of the dead victims as art for articles and blaming the victims for their own deaths by mentioning past arrests for sex work.
“Language and images really matter when reporting on cases like these and journalists should know better, and yet they are taking their cues from the police who continue to misgender and disrespect,” Monica Roberts, award-winning blogger for TransGriot, told BET.com.
But why so many hate filled murders of African American Trans Women? As the President of America mentioned transgender society for the first time in history, and with the national NAACP reaching out more to the transgender community, it has yet to reach the streets of America. One of the contributors to the murder of these five women is the hate filled speech by an African American preacher. Jack Ass of the Week, David Manning, who says in his speech he is not filled with hate but instead created his own version of the bible, which is a crime against God. David Manning has shown the heights of bigoted ignorance as he makes the statement that Justin Bieber had his breasts removed. This man is so full of misinformation and hate he is literally creating his own reality to justify it. Think it's funny? Well the speeches of such like David Manning are the direct contributors of the five gruesome murders of these Trans women of color and is equal to the hangings of black men by the KKK before the Civil Rights Movement. I hold people like him responsible and ask our government why people like this are not considered terriosts in sighting hate and murder?
If that wasn't enough, it seems the days of Jerry Springer are back. This time it's name is Kardashian. Yes, I know many within the community are divided on their support of Bruce Jenner. I could care less if Bruce Jenner is or isn't trans, to me that's not even the issue, but bringing his and the Kardashian brand of explanation through another reality series is not educating the people or supporting the community. The Kardashian clan, especially Bruce Jenner who was recently divorced and had to pay millions to ex-wife, are now on a quest to make a dollar and make a public joke of transitioning.
I am not saying his transition is valid or not. No one within our community, unless they personally know him, can. Only him. What I am saying is why make it into another cheesy controversial reality series for a buck. Don't forget his own daughter publicly married someone for a million dollar ratings. These people are beyond any real concern over the daily lives other transgender people must live. No, Bruce Jenner would like to make a ratings buck, get his name back in the papers, and be relevant once again. He could fucking care less about the transgender community. If he did, why is his first response is to make another reality series? Why not go on the road, appear with other trans people and begin to politically advocate for his or her desired rights? It does not take a genius to look at the contribution the kardashians have made to the uplifting of American society, absolutely fucking zero!!!
And I will not change my opinion!!!!
Anna Grodzka was elected as a Member of Parliament in Poland in 2011, in what is usually a notoriously conservative country.
According to Newsweek Poland, the politician confirmed her plans to run for President later this year for the Polish Green party.
She said: “Yes, I’ll be a presidential candidate.”
A funding campaign has been started to create the frist Trans/queer talent agency. awQward is a brand new organization that is the first ever trans & queer people of color specific talent agency. What many trans & queer artists of color know is that often it is hard to get your work out there when we are reliant upon agencies that may not understand the cultural and personal value of what we bring to the table. At awQward, we are striving to make space for trans & queer artists and leaders of color that have been putting their energy into creating amazing movements. We want you to help us support and sustain the work these individuals are doing so we can uplift not just them, but other potential change makers that may not be able to see themselves reflected in the narratives that are portrayed in mainstream art spaces.
Written in the wake of trans teen Leelah Alcorn's highly publicized suicide late last year, the petition proposes a federal statute dubbed "Leelah's Law" that would require all states to end efforts by therapists to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, alternately known as "conversion," "reparative," or "ex-gay" therapy.
Finally great news from the leading LGBT organization, GLAAD, who has proven their support for the transgender community. Now is acknowledging yet again and celebrate Black History Month.
We hope and can only pray that we continue to fix society, stop the murder of Trans women of color and educate ignorant evil preachers speaking blasphemy in the name of God.
RELATED TOPICS ON TRANSMUSEPLANET
Trans World News 1-24-15
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