copied from shemale, who said it well enough that I have nothing to add

[likeawoman]

Andrade guilty on 1st degree murder, hate crime charges in Zapata slaying, to be sentenced to life without parole. It will be the first trans-related murder to get hate crime conviction.
--via touchyphiliac


There's nothing good about this whole situation--the murder of Angie Zapata, the systemic inequalities through which so many people--Andrade, other murderers, and everyone who is complicit in them--think that murder is an acceptable response to the existence of a trans woman of color, the grief of everyone who knew and loved Angie, the hateful "tranny panic" defense by Andrade's attorneys that's worked so many times before.

But the ruling against Andrade as having committed a hate crime against a trans person is a landmark. It sends the message that there is a problem with this, that it does not make it suddenly okay to bash someone's head in with a blunt, heavy object and say "i killed it" if you later claim that "finding out" (in spite of knowing two days ahead of time) that a woman was assigned male at birth drove you into a state of murderous rage.

This ruling may make the world a safer place. It may save lives.

 

Comments

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

can i steal?

[likeawoman.livejournal.com]

you should probably ask drea (shemale), but I don't think she'd have any problem with it.

[unusualmusic.livejournal.com]

k. thanks

[gloriapatch.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think this could save lives. I'm glad, in a case like this, that this is the verdict. It doesn't make it good, but it makes a little justice.

[gloriapatch.livejournal.com]

You know what just occurred to me? What the fuck was a 32-year-old man doing with an 18-year-old woman anyway? That's fucked already. I know 18-year-olds are sometimes considered adults but that's a damn large age gap. So the convicted guy was already in creepo territory before his true nature as a homicidal bigot was revealed.

[vodgut.livejournal.com]

That's getting a good deal of attention around here....

I suppose the defense was just trying to do their job, and in that position may be forced to use some very unpalatable arguments toward getting a lesser conviction for their defendant. I'm glad they failed.

[lynn82md.livejournal.com]

This ruling may make the world a safer place. It may save lives.
Agreed :)