The Fight For Justice Continues With the Murder Trial of Lateisha Green

Update: July 17th - A jury convicted Dwight DeLee of manslaughter in the first degree as a hate crime!!!! WooT!! Of course, the caveat is that it was manslaughter and NOT 1st degree murder. Witnesses had been intimidated against testifying (WTF) and Teisha's brother had also been injured when this miscreant murdered her. So this is a case of a step to the side versus a definitive step forward. Progress for black trans women is slow but it will happen!!!

So while I will be continuing the discussion about the disordered thinking within the non-existent "black community" I'm stepping aside to get back to some other business of the day. Sonia Sotomayor's SCOTUS Confirmation hearings are a joke, but not funny. The white male privilege in place really makes me want to throttle some of them and wipe the smirks off their faces. I still think Kimberlie Crenshaw should have been nominated first. 

It would seem our dear President has been advised he needed to make some type of gesture to black women because he nominated Regina Benjamin to the Surgeon General post. Many people are pleased not only because of her work, but because she's a Delta. Now since one of the black male fraternities extended a membership to former President Bill Clinton will he think he's got black cred again? Let's hope not.

Moving on there's something more serious to mention. Today was the first day of the murder trial of trans woman Lateisha Green being held in Syracuse, New York. Her life was lived in the open which put her at great risk. Currently the Federal Hate Crimes legislation does NOT include gender identity and that needs to change. Here's to the hope the murderer gets a long prison sentence and the message gets sent that if you murder a transgender person you will be prosecuted and put away.

Photo gallery Press Conference Day One of Trial Transgender Legal Defense with the Green family. It's nice to know they fully supported her transition which also dispels the myth of blacks being less tolerant than other groups.

I can't help but think of a case that horrified many of us last year regarding Memphis resident Duanna Johnson. Duanna was taken into custody ostensibly on a prostitution charge that was never filed. She had to be released but not before she was humiliated, cursed at with racial ephitets and physically assaulted by police officers. Thanks to the taped footage of the beating both officers were fired. Yet shortly thereafter Duanna was found murdered. You connect the dots. 

So when the corporate media fails again to cover stories of importance that's where we bloggers come in. Nice to see GLAAD on top of things as well. There's a history of gays and lesbians working against transgender rights believe it or not! Hooray for citizen journalism and the stomach to write about these things. It's not easy to discuss but again, the things that make us squirm are the conversations we need to be having. It might save someone's life. 

There's a Facebook page "Justice for Teish" you can join as well.