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Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery

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Raspberry Swirly
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
Ugh, this made me so sad to see on the news. I was even sadder to know that she was in the process of moving away. This city...it's all kinds of corrupt. I wish Memphis could make the national headlines for things that aren't so awful.
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JinxyMcDeath
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
When will people just leave each other the fuck alone? I mean, really, just leave each other alone - problem solved.
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Red-headed bookworm
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
Can we just stop with the notion that any kind of bigotry and hatred is more prevelent in the South? It's not. It's everywhere. I live in Indiana. The NW part of Indiana and the next county south has a very active KKK chapter. Thinking it's a bigger problem in the South keeps us from addressing it in all places.
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Mav
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
"I didn't tell the kids at school I was a transexual because, I was afraid they'd kill me with sticks... 'what? he said a word we didn't understand! And he won at scrabble with it!'" --Eddie

I know his bit is humour, but its sad that while we're laughing cause ha ha, its real and a reality for many, many people.

RIP Duanna
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Gael
11/18/08

@Mav: He's a transvestite not transexual. Very different things.

Sidenote: Eddie Izzard is gorgeous.
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Mav
11/18/08

@Gael: Yes thank you for clarifying. I felt there was something off with my quote but couldn't place it and was just going off the top of my head.

Apologies. :)

Yes he is. I am still miffed he has better legs than I do.
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Red-headed bookworm
11/18/08

@Gael: Yes, yes he is. *sigh* Good looks and a sense of humor get me everytime. And he's an "executive transvestite." :)
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kityglitr
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
This has GOT to stop. I spent the last weekend watching Paris is Burning repeatedly, and I can't get the story of Venus Xtravaganza out of my head. When will people learn to just leave others alone? If you don't like them, fine. Violence against those we choose not to understand is unacceptable.
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ceejeemcbeegee is not here
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
I will never understand why someone minding their own business over there ::points to the far left:: would prompt a stranger over there ::points to the far right:: to start shit with them.
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NefariousNewt
11/18/08

@ceejeemcbeegee: It's their mere presence on Earth, the fact that that person even exists. It's the same things that has driven racism, sexism, anti-abortion protests, and then incidents like this. It's something that festers in the mind of a fundamentalist, that nags at them, until they give into the voices in their head and it bursts out as rage and hatred. All fueled by fear, misconception, narcissism, and belief. It's the remnants of the Salem Witch Trials, of the burning of Joan of Arc, the torture and burning of Giordano Bruno, the Final Solution. It is the dark places in our minds that we have not yet stamped out, the primitive brain, which does not know rationality, only reaction to stimuli. And we still have to live with it in our midst.
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GemmaDrusus
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
This is so awful and not good. My partner is a beautiful trans girl (who is a little too tall and deep-voiced to effectively "pass") and every time she's even slightly late getting home from work my mind goes into terrified overdrive thinking that some ignorant yahoo might have attacked her. I knew a man who looked out the window of his apartment one day and saw a group of men beating his boyfriend senseless in the street. Looking out and seeing that happening to my partner (or worse, having it happen far away without my knowledge) is basically my biggest fear in the world, hands down. I'm a little teary right now just thinking about it.

In other news: Trans people are PEOPLE, you jackasses. Show some respect.

(That was totally not directed at anyone on Jez, for the record.)
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JinxyMcDeath
11/18/08

@GemmaDrusus: You know, I was randomly thinking this morning about how I wouldn't mind if my hypothetical child was transgendered, but I think the constant worry that some psycho is going to beat my child to death would make me upset about the situation.
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Eeva
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
This breaks my heart. The story, and the feeling that no one will be charged with her murder.
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Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
I just can not stand the how out of control our police system has gotten. How can I go to jail (JAIL) for 12 hours for a fucking unpaid parking ticket, and police that beat (and now possibly murder) a woman get off with loosing their jobs and nothing else.

Is it any surprise that no suspects have been found? The system is corrupt. It punishes the people that need reform more than anyone and rewards those that understand and manipulate the system.

It seems to me that if this keeps up we will have a revolution on our hands. People won't be able to stand it any more.

My sister dates a cop, and while I love that she's dating someone, I HATE all of the stories that he tells about people he lets off and why (they were cute, he was tired) I hate all the shit he gets away with (constant drunk driving, etc) I don't even mention his name when I get pulled over because it just makes me feel dirty.

Disclaimer: This is not about all cops. I know there are good ones out there.
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Our Lady of the Massacre
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
Why do people persist in believing that gay, bi and trans-gendered people willingly "choose" their "lifestyles"? They don't "choose" it any more than their hair or eye color. Geez.
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StPatJack
11/18/08

@Our Lady of the Massacre: Word. I am raising my babies with the opposite state of mind. Meaning I tell them that those of the LGBT comm. are born that way and those who discriminate/harass/hate them are willfull choosing to not be good, decent peole. Being an asshat IS a CHOICE.
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rosasparks
11/18/08

@StPatJack: Being an asshat is DEFINITELY a choice. I will never understand why it IS a choice, either.
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Edna Sednitzer
11/18/08

@Our Lady of the Massacre: and maybe that's one of the root causes of hate: nowadays we are led to believe that "everything" is choice, including our hair color, eyes, skin texture, etc... there is nothing that cannot be modified or "customized" in our bodies, so I wonder if that psychology doesn't play a part in the way haters view the subject.
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Mav
11/18/08

@Edna_Sednitzer: You mean in the whole "why don't they just change to fit in?" idea?

Hmm,... interesting.
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Edna Sednitzer
11/18/08

@Mav: maybe... I don't know. I am just sort of thinking about it now... and I do give this stuff a lot of thought considering I am constantly working with LGBT folks (my biz partner is gay and a militant for LGBT awareness in the third world, so I work with him in actions and related activities sometimes). One thing I do know: there is no way to change the minds of haters through discourse. In my experience, the only way haters of any kind change their minds is when their hearts are touched (either by personally knowing someone, or having a family member, or getting close to someone who is "different" to them -i.e. racially different, or gay, etc...). I haven't seen one case in which a narrow minded person suddenly saw the error of their ideas through discussions on the subject. It's always been, invariably, through personal stories.
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Mav
11/18/08

@Edna_Sednitzer: Yeah, I keep wanting to use logic to explain to the few I know and it invariably never works out right.

No one wants to admit they're wrong and bigoted.
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CrossWord
11/18/08

@Edna_Sednitzer: We need more gays!
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hellosunshine
11/18/08

@Our Lady of the Massacre: What are you talking about? When I was in the womb, I totally checked the "white" "female" "blue eyes" "dark hair" boxes on the fetal survey.

/sarcasm

Seriously - this is so, so sad and disheartening.
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Betty Bea Getty McClanahan
11/18/08

@Edna_Sednitzer:

That's not necessarily true...it may be because I'm at an age in my life where I'm starting to develop my own viewpoints, and separate from my parents', but this year alone has been amazing for my emotional growth.

At the risk of being slaughtered by my RepubParents (and especially my rabidly Repub mom), I've become...dare I say the hated word...liberal!

I was raised to believe things like being gay, GLBT rights and anything even close to "the Antichrist" aka our President-elect, was really wrong. And I voted for Obama and Arizona's version of Prop 8 this year. And I was really proud. Even though my changes in view were, shall we say, NOT accepted well.
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Cafezinha
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
Over the last few years, I've had the opportunity to get much more educated about the trans world, as one of my dearest high school friends has been transitioning FTM. I didn't go in hateful and prejudiced, but I certainly did have a LOT to learn, and am now proud to be an activist for people who don't always have a voice, like Duanna. One of my big dreams is that I become totally useless as an activist because the issue becomes a non-issue--that transfolk don't have these struggles any more.

Rest in peace, Duanna. People are fighting for you, and we won't give up.
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KittenFluff
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
As someone wisely said in the comments on another site (Queerty, possibly?): "The police have no suspects? The police are the suspects!"
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NefariousNewt
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
If you are transgendered, then you have a lot to fear, because your existence seems unnatural to some people, and while not all of them will do more than think negatively of you, some will outright hate you. And this is the result. We need tolerance for all. We need to live, truly live, by the principle that "all men are created equal." It can never be paid lip service. We all have the right to be who we are, no matter what others may think of us.
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formergr
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
I'm sure the investigation of this will be just as successful as the one of the Prince George's Sheriff's department, who happened to have a man (who had killed an officer in said Sheriff's department) mysteriously die of strangulation while alone in a jail cell. And then the video camera that was used to film the scene right after his body was found mysteriously "malfunctioned". So no evidence, no charges, and things will continue on as usual there.

The case of Duanna Johnson is of course so so much worse, though, because she was a completely innocent person who was beaten (and now killed) simply for being transgender.
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linnyt is a walking cliché
11/18/08

p@formergr: pg county is just bad all around.
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Never_Nude
11/18/08

In reply to Death Of Memphis Woman Is Shrouded In Mystery
Poor Duanna. Double whammy--a sex worker, and transgendered. I agree with BHB: why spend so much time and energy on the hate? It baffles and angers me.

As a lawyer, I wish there were better-funded programs to represent people like Duanna. I can't work for free, but I would work for not much, to help folks like her.
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katie_conspiracy
11/18/08

@Never_Nude is proud to welcome President Obama:

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project does great work with trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people in NYC. Check them out, if you're interested, at srlp.org.
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Never_Nude
11/18/08

@katie_conspiracy: Thanks! I will.
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