Justice For January! Kill a Trans Woman & Get Bail? Friends Say NO!

Charles Jameson Neel charged with killing Transgender woman January Marie Lapuz may get bail before his trial. Friends of January Marie Lapuz Say NO!

UPDATE: I have searched the web and have not been able to verify this but one of the rally attendees said bail was denied.

Transgender woman January Marie Lapuz from Santiago, Isabela Philippines immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia to escape what has become known as a very transphobic country only to be murdered Sept. 29 at the age of 26.

Bail in Canada can be denied if "detention is necessary for the protection or safety of the public. This includes whether there is a substantial likelihood the accused will commit a further offence or interfere with the administration of justice.

This precisely what frightens the BC trans community. The crime was violent and resulted in the death of January. This was a real woman, live flesh and blood with hopes, dreams and passions as January's Facebook page reveals. Does her murder not equate to that of a cisgender woman?

Persons charged with a criminal offence in Canada have a constitutional right to reasonable bail unless there is some compelling reason to deny it. These reasons can be related to the accused's likelihood to skip bail, or to public danger resulting from the accused being at large. In stark contrast to many other jurisdictions granting a constitutional right to bail, in Canada the accused may even be denied bail because the public confidence in the administration of justice may be disturbed by letting the individual, still legally innocent, go free pending the completion of the trial or passing of sentence (Criminal Code, s. 515 (10)(c)). :Wiki Bail Canada

The Justice for January protest is before this alleged murderers bail hearing is scheduled so if you are in BC you will have a opportunity to demand equality and justice for January.

Justice For January! Kill a Trans Woman & Get Bail? Friends Say NO!

India: Rape Victim Dies, Government 'waiting on reaction' To Act

As the world mourns the death of the young woman brutally assaulted, raped and thrown from a moving bus transgender people worldwide wonder. How will this affect trans people in India? Will the government need a riot to punish the perpetrators? And what about the social climate that not only allows this to happen but punishes the victims as well?

My hope is that this will help awaken India to the root causes that allow a society to ignore rape. India's misogynistic, patriarchal and transphobic society must change. Respect for woman isn't optional, it's necessary if India is serious about stopping this from reoccurring.

The Indian gang rape victim whose assault in New Delhi triggered nationwide protests died of her injuries on Saturday in a Singapore hospital, potentially threatening fresh protests in India where her case is a rallying point for women's rights. The 23-year-old medical student, severely beaten, raped and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi two weeks ago, had been flown to Singapore in a critical condition by the Indian government on Thursday for specialist treatment. Al Jazeera's Divya Gopalan reports on the latest from New Delhi.