If you recall, I blogged about Angie Zapata back on my old blog when her murder happened. She was a trans woman of color living in Colorado who was brutally murdered by a man claiming the “panic defense” (i.e. I thought she was a woman and then I found out she was “really” a man and so I killed her and it’s completely justified because she “tricked” me because all people who “trick” me deserve to be killed).
Her murder trail begins this week, and so I wanted to take a moment to remember Angie and direct you to ways to support her family and justice for all trans people.
I think it’s important to remember that Angie existed not just as a trans woman, but a trans woman of color who existed in a state where people who look like her are criminalized–regularly, consistently and in the name of “protecting” the nation state. Anti-immigrant violence plays out in multiple ways, and the women who challenge the boundaries of gender are especially vulnerable to that violence.
I don’t have faith that the courts will bring justice to Angie–she’s dead, after all, there’s no justice that can make her alive again. And the courts have proven over and over again that the panic defense is understandable to far too many juries.
But I hope and pray that the visibility of this case and the dedicated continued love of Angie’s family will create a sustained action in Colorado–across the U.S.–one that will make life safer for all trans people.
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April 14th, 2009 at 1:26 pm #
You said that way better than I managed to.
May Angie have peace.
April 14th, 2009 at 8:13 pm #
I am going to be following this trial very closely. I cannot believe that Andrade is using the trans panic defense. It will be the greatest miscarriage of justice if this two time loser walks away from this alleged murder. It saddens me to see one so young and promising added to the remembering our dead list because of ignorance, bigotry and hatred.
April 15th, 2009 at 4:36 am #
I sure the hell hope the “panic defense” doesn’t work. It should never work, dammit, it’s b.s.
April 15th, 2009 at 5:02 am #
One in twelve. Fuck!!!!! This makes me really mad at the mainstream (mainly white/male) gay rights movement (AGAIN), that was built on the backs of trans people of color.
Also: cutie butch sister! All of those women are so sweet, this is fucking heartbreaking. What are men doing to get their shit together and figure out how to get over their hysteria?
April 15th, 2009 at 6:05 am #
For example, where are the cis/straight men that loved her (relatives, etc.)? There must be some, but I don’t see any in the video.
Also wondering about the argument (elsewhere) that hate crime legislation is not the way to go:
http://www.alp.org/node/311
April 15th, 2009 at 10:20 am #
i’m totally crying now, which i suppose is why i put off watching this video until i was at home and not at school– this shit hits way too close to home.
listening to angie’s family is heart breaking, but also warming– i am so glad that she got to have that family support and love in her lifetime, however short it ended up being.
and i don’t even know what justice looks like– could look like– in a case like this. but i pray her family finds peace and healing, if nothing else.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:02 am #
I’m totally with you Amapola and Nora–thank *gawd* she had that sort of love and support. I’ve been talking a lot with other woc in my life that live around me about the healing aspects of intentional family building–and that’s one of the things that we’ve talked SO much about–how much our lives would’ve been different if we’d had a group of supportive loving women surrounding us, helping us to grow up. And especially thinking about the pressure on young girls of color to be the magical super colored girl, right? Thank god she had women surrounding her that loved her dearly and accepted her, just as she is.
And nora, I’ve been thinking the same thing, except in regards to the immigrant community. Of course there’s been attention and thought given to Angie from people in the immigrant community–but the immigrant community *as a whole*–and as one that also includes men–there has been nary a peep. Any time Latin@s are killed in freaking Colorado or Texas, that is reason enough to give pause and consider what the hell is going on–and I have not seen that happening from the heterosexual community or from the immigrant community. And especially from the immigrant community I think it’s essential–given that they rest almost their entire freaking movement on the right to family. What does that mean when we all get upset and mobilize around nuclear traditional families, but have nothing at all to say about queer families? Or families that openly and completely accept non-conforming members?
I mean, I’m thinking about the Filipino family I read about over on VL recently that is queer, and one of the mothers is scheduled to be deported to the Filippines–after spending 20 freaking YEARS here–but she can’t get sponsored because her family is a queer family. And yet I havent read anything at all from major pro-immigration organizations about supporting pro-marriage legislation or legislation that would recognize queer fams as “real” fams…
April 15th, 2009 at 4:08 pm #
I had to stop the video 1/2 way through beause it was so sad.
How fucking dare anybody decide that a peson’s life doesn’t matter?
I hope the jury will say her life mattered.
April 16th, 2009 at 5:25 am #
I had seen the same thing as nora, about the hate crime legislation issue. I hold out some hope that there will be a conviction.
April 16th, 2009 at 12:30 pm #
I am a therapist who works with transgendered clients. I serve the mental health needs of rural midwest communities. I worry about just this kind of thing happening in my region, and at times fear for safety of the transgender people I work with (many of whom have already experienced hate violence). I will be following this trial and hoping for justice. Not just for Angie, but for the transgendered community.
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:40 pm #
Interestingly in trial about the murder of Gwen Araujo here in the bay area, the trans panic defense was used by the semi-famous radical lawyer Tony Serra. Serra in the past defended Huey Newton and a host of other political radicals, hells Angels and a number of other high profile people. Anyways the trans panic defense didn’t work.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:37 am #
Just saw the news…
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12204631