Voices From The Angie Zapata Family Vigil

Cross posted with full permision from Pams 'House Blend'

by: Autumn Sandeen
Wed Apr 15, 2009 at 09:15:00 AM EDT

I went to the Angie Zapata Family Vigil on Monday Night, and asked people why they chose to attend the event. Below is the video where about a half a dozen folk answer the question.
The video begins with me worrying aloud about whether very many trans people and their allies were going to attend -- I worried for nothing, as at least fifty trans people, allies, and members of Angie Zapata's trial family (sorry, typo) attended. Then, in sort of a "second" intro to the video (shot in my hotel room) I introduce the concept of the video, explaing that I asked people at the vigil "What motivated you personally to attend this vigil?" The video is about seven-and-a-half minutes long.

Autumn Sandeen :: Voices From The Angie Zapata Family Vigil

Justicia racial para Zapata : Racial Justice For Zapata

Inglés para el traductor de Google español miniaplicación a la derecha

Violence is extreme against our gender and racially diverse community.

The disproportionate number of under reported, incorrectly or unreported crimes against transgender people of color is sickening. This sad fact is being brought to the forefront of national attention by Angie Zapata's violent death. This horrific event has unified the transgender community and allies in awareness and action.

I am a white Anglo Saxon transgender woman who until I transitioned was among the largest ethnic majority in America. I have a innate view of people that does not note ethenticity automatically. I was born with this blindness and can not attribute this blessing to an endeavour of my own. But as a result, until Monica Roberts and Ethan St. Pierre brought this to my attention I was blissfully oblivious to this incredible disparity. AS HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS WE MUST FOCUS our activism on the most vulnerable.

Colorlines The National News Magazine for Race and Politic's Blog Race Wire

Twitter Racial Justice

Transgender News [Blog/News] [CO, USA] Light a Candle for Angie Zapata

Colorado Independent Coalition unfurls ‘End Hate’ campaign ahead of Angie Zapata murder trial


planetransgender planetransgender: Human Rights First : 2008 US Violent Hate Crimes against LGBT Increasing

Remember Our Dead

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Monica Roberts TransGriotBust A Cap In 'Em?

Ethan St. Pierre International Transgender Day Of Remembrance

Jury selection starts to for Zapata Murder Trial

Source Colorado Independent Jury selection starts Tuesday in trial of man charged with Zapata slaying

"The 300 Weld County residents who report for jury duty Tuesday won’t know at first whether they might wind up deciding the fate of a man accused of beating to death Angie Zapata, a 17-year-old transgender woman — first with his fists and then with a fire extinguisher — last summer in Greeley."


"Some of the prospective jurors will be sent to another courtroom — randomly, using a constantly changing process to ensure no one knows which crime they could judge, according to a court official — where a second murder trial is scheduled at the Weld County Courthouse. But most will be directed to the benches of District Court Judge Marcelo A. Kopcow, where a dozen will eventually sit for nine days to hear evidence and decide whether Allen Andrade committed first-degree murder and a hate crime."

Original full article Jury selection starts Tuesday in trial of man charged with Zapata slaying

TCU delays housing program for LGBT students

BREAKING NEWS: TCU delays housing program for LGBT students
Source 'Instant Tea' blog by Dallas Voice News Editor John Wright;

"Officials at Texas Christian University have postponed plans for a living-learning community geared toward LGBT students and their supporters."

"The two TCU students who proposed DiversityCity Q — Shelly Newkirk and Su Harz — said Monday they were disappointed with the decision. Harz said she thinks the administration caved to outside pressure, and she noted that DiversityCity Q was the only living-learning community that had generated any media attention."

"Newkirk said a demonstration is planned Friday at TCU to push for an LGBT resource center on campus. But she said the demonstration was planned prior to Monday’s decision, and she doesn’t want it to turn into a protest. The demonstration will be from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., beginning at the Bass Building and ending at the Sadler Lawn."

Full story at Dallas Voice Blog INSTANT TEA

Tell Amazon to Stop Discriminating Against LGBT Books

Tell Amazon to Stop Discriminating Against LGBT Books

Targeting: Amazon Customer Service and Jeff Bezos (CEO, Amazon.com)
Started by: Ben Rattray

It was recently revealed that Amazon has been stripping the sales rank of gay and lesbian books, labeling them as "adult" content and removing them from search rankings. At the same time, books about heterosexual porn stars, Playboy centerfolds, and techniques on how to "cure" homosexuality remain ranked.Please tell Amazon this discrimination is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately, and that as a public company they should release a transparent set of guidelines on how books are classified on the site.

For more information, see: http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/amazoncoms_epic_fail

Petition Link

http://www.change.org/actions/view/tell_amazon_to_stop_discriminating_against_lgbt_books

First Transgender Hate Crime Trial Opens in Zapata Murder Case

Source: Public News Service, CO, USA

Greeley - A landmark trial begins this week in Weld County, Colo. It is believed to be the first murder prosecution under hate-crime laws that involves a transgender victim. The case is last year's brutal killing of Angie Zapata, an 18-year-old transgender woman who was attacked in her Greeley apartment. The suspect in the case is charged with a number of crimes, including first-degree murder and a "bias-motivated" or hate crime. "

"Colorado was the first state in the nation to pass a hate-crime law, in 1988. Mindy Barton, legal director at the GLBT Community Center of Colorado, says it was amended in 2005 to include sexual orientation and gender identity."

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that these charges have been filed in an anti-transgender-specific case."

Public News Service - CO
April 2009
Criminal Justice
GLBTQ Issues
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