Yes, I bring...well...hopeful news.
Dwight DeLee, accused of murdering 22 year old transwoman Lateisha Green, is going to trial Monday in New York. The murder itself happened back in November & after a few setbacks since June the trial is finally happening. I've been keeping up via TransGriot & the Facebook group Justice for Teish. Also the trial will be tweeted if you follow TLDEF.
I'm glad the ball is rolling on this, finally, after seeing the story handled really awfully at first out of Syracuse (including wrong pronouns, the beginnings of the "trans panic" defense). But I'm hoping the trial will get wider coverage, more appropriate coverage. I'll come back to this post when the trial coverage starts (or you know, when I actually see it) & have more to say on it.
Edyt: And now, with video!
Edyt(s): Getting updates thanks to the marvel that is Twitter. From Andy Marra's Twitter , opening statements will be happening soon. Jury selection's completed with 8 women, 6 men. 1 man of color & 1 woman of color. That...bugs me in a way considering that Green was African American but I'm not going to attempt to get into any heads so we'll see :/
Trial continues tomorrow morning, for now here's a vid of the family's press conference earlier in the morning.
Unfortunately you know the transphobia is out full force in the comments so I wouldn't even go down there (just watch the vid). I am reminded of a random comment I saw on Facebook, to the effect of hate crime laws are ineffective without education (and basically people not being hateful in general? fat chance I know). It was specific to this case mind. I have to agree in part, you can be the most educated person alive and still be a hateful bigoted waste of air.
You don't want tougher hate crime laws? Alright, trying being part of a minority group. Try being gay or lesbian or a trans woman, a trans man, black, latin@, hell try being all those things. Get back to me and we'll see if you feel differently. The laws that protect you & your privilege aren't even the same that protect the rest of us, THAT'S WHY THEY EXIST. Shit.
And here's more blog coverage from TLDEF.
