Death of a Transgender Woman Is Called Hate Crime

[eltel]

A man accused in the beating death of a transgender teenager he met online snapped when he learned in person that the 18-year-old living as a woman had male sex organs, authorities in Colorado said Wednesday.

Allen Ray Andrade, 32, is currently charged with second-degree murder in the death of Angie Zapata, who was born Justin Zapata but lived as a young woman. Andrade is being held without bond. It was unclear whether he has hired an attorney.

Prosecutors have 72 hours to file charges, including a possible first-degree murder commission of a hate crime. Andrade admitted to investigators that he beat Zapata first with his fists and then with a fire extinguisher after he grabbed her genitalia and discovered Zapata had a penis, according to a Weld County arrest affidavit obtained by ABCNews.com.

Zapata's body was discovered by her sister on July 17 inside her Greeley, Colo., apartment. She had been fatally beaten, with blunt force trauma around her head, according to the Weld County Coroner's Office.

Andrade told investigators that he and Zapata met on the social networking Web site MocoSpace, according to the affidavit. They arranged to meet and on July 15, Andrade, who has a criminal record in neighboring Adams County, said that Zapata attended a court hearing with him. Later that day, Zapata allegedly performed oral sex on Andrade but refused to let him touch her sexually.

The following day, according to the affidavit, Zapata left Andrade alone at her apartment. The suspect told investigators that he noticed photographs that, coupled with her reluctance the previous day, raised questions about "Zapata's sex."

Later on July 16, Andrade said he asked Zapata outright whether she was a man or woman. "I am all woman," Zapata allegedly told him, according to the affidavit. He asked for proof and when she refused, Andrade told investigators, he "grabbed Zapata's genital area and felt a penis."

read the rest here:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=5487781&page=1

[thegame925]

Death of a Transgender Woman Is Called a Hate Crime

From The New York Times - Saturday 2nd August 2008

GREELEY, Colo. €” Angie Zapata began living as a woman six years ago even though she was born male and named Justin.



Courtesy of Colorado Anti-Violence Program
Friends said Angie Zapata, who was found dead on July 17, was a glamorous figure in Greeley.

While Ms. Zapata, 18, was accepted by her many friends and five siblings, she was bullied in school and at times was lonely and troubled, an older sister, Monica, said. Eventually, Ms. Zapata dropped out of school and got her own apartment here in Greeley.

It was in that apartment that Ms. Zapata€™s badly beaten body was found on July 17.

On Wednesday, the police arrested Allen R. Andrade, 31, and charged him with murder. According to the authorities, Mr. Andrade had gone out on a date with Ms. Zapata, and upon discovering she had male genitalia, beat her to death €”starting with his fists and then with a fire extinguisher.

Mr. Andrade told investigators that he thought he had €œkilled it,€ according to an affidavit filed by the police. Mr. Andrade, who is in custody, has said nothing publicly about the killing, and his arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

On Thursday, the Weld County district attorney announced that he would prosecute the killing as a hate crime, which carries an additional 18-month sentence if Mr. Andrade is convicted.

€œWe applied the law to the facts, and we thought the law was appropriate,€ said the district attorney, Kenneth R. Buck.

The killing has both shaken and rallied this rural, conservative town about 60 miles north of Denver, where there has long been a sense that minorities face discrimination, a feeling that became especially inflamed among Hispanics after a federal immigration raid on a meatpacking plant here in 2006.

€œWe€™ve heard from so many people expressing not only just outrage but also shock as to how this could happen,€ said Chris Fiene, a board member for the Lambda Community Center in nearby Fort Collins, which provides services for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

At a recent memorial service, nearly 200 people filled the church Ms. Zapata had attended. A vigil is being planned for this month. With her long hair, baby-smooth face and distinctive looks, Ms. Zapata cut a glamorous figure, friends and family members said.

€œWe loved to take her out, because she got so much attention,€ her sister Monica, 32, said. €œI couldn€™t even take her to Wal-Mart because people would turn around. Everybody knew Angie.€

According to the Colorado Anti-Violence Program, there were 121 incidents of violence committed against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people in Colorado last year, numbers that have held relatively steady over the past few years.

In 2007, however, there was a 24 percent increase nationally in the number of victims reporting such violence, said Avy Skolnik, coordinator of statewide and national programs for the National Anti-Violence Project in New York City. Ms. Zapata€™s death is emblematic of a surge in the violence over the past month, Mr. Skolnik said.

Ms. Zapata had dreamed of moving to Denver, becoming a professional drag queen and working as a cosmetologist. But she started hanging out with a rough crowd and dated too many men, some of them dangerous, her sister said.

€œOne time she came home crying saying, €˜Why, Monica, why won€™t people accept me?€™ € Monica Zapata said. €œAll my sister wanted was somebody who would take her down the street and be proud of who she was.€

Monica Zapata said her sister had drifted into drugs and at one point talked about prostitution to make extra money.

€œI worried about her every time she left my house,€ she said. €œI couldn€™t fix her loneliness.€

According to an arrest affidavit, Ms. Zapata met Mr. Andrade on an Internet dating site. They spent time together at Ms. Zapata€™s apartment on July 15, and she performed oral sex on him. But Mr. Andrade told the police that Ms. Zapata would not let him touch her, and that they slept in separate rooms that night.

The next evening, after viewing photographs in her apartment, Mr. Andrade confronted Ms. Zapata over her sexual identity just before killing her, the affidavit said. €œI am all woman,€ Ms. Zapata told him, according to the affidavit.

[thegame925]

Link to Shakespeare Blogspot

RIP Angie Zapata

posted by Melissa McEwan | Friday, August 01, 2008

This is an extremely upsetting story about a man who went on a date with a trans woman, and, upon discovering she still had male genitalia, bludgeoned her to death. I'm not going to recount the details of the gruesome murder, which you can find at the link if you are so inclined, but I want to highlight one thing that the murderer, Allen Ray Andrade, said to investigators while describing the murder: His first attempt failed, and he was surprised to discover Angie Zapata was still alive, as he thought he had "killed it."

It.

Because Zapata was trans, she went from being a woman with whom Andrade wanted to (and did) have sex, hang out with, and view as a human being, to being a genderless, neutered "it" devoid of her humanity. A thing, who wrought its own demise with its false advertising.

Andrade could have shouted, could have stormed out, could have just gone quietly and never looked back. But he had to "kill it." He had to destroy all trace and presence of what he perceived as a mistake that impugned his very manhood. And so he grabbed at the notion of transgender people as "things," as freaks and monsters, as Its, the narrative of objects and outcasts, always so close at hand in a culture hostile to everything and everyone different€”he grabbed it and seized it and held it close while he killed a living, breathing person. Angie Zapata. A trans woman who was loved.

And now people who never, ever, would have known the names Allen Ray Andrade or Angie Zapata know that they fucked and know that he murdered her. Because he couldn't bear to just walk away. Because he is a coward who would rather kill than defend his choices, and a stupid man who didn't consider that stealing Zapata of her humanity to justify slaying her would only rob him of whatever humanity he ever had.

Who's "it" now, asshole?

How many more? How many more will die due to bigotry, and hatred, and cowardice, and all that goes with these things? Honestly I really wonder if humanity ever will be at peace with itself. I used to be very confident we'd eventually struggle through, and in the end - perhaps millennium from now, humans would at last have at least come to terms with themselves.

Things like this just make me wonder if thats really possible.

Our language really needs a gender-neutral singular pronoun suitable for human beings.

But there's no excuse for murder, anyway.
I wish that Angie and every "freak" could find a community like this one.
Furthermore, the very nonexistence of a gender-neutral singular pronoun for human beings may be our culture's way of excluding gender-queerness from general discourse. That quirk has also been used historically to exclude women from the general discourse by using "he" to refer to a person of unspecified gender.

Oftentimes, though, if people even care to be polite, they will use the plural - "them" - for someone of unspecified or uncertain gender. And, of course, it's also a problem that we can't usually accept gender identities being at odds with biological sex - even I have my discriminatory moments of not knowing whether to call my transman cousin a him or a her. I try to say "him" when I'm thinking, but I often revert to "her" especially around other family referring to him as such.
Even if such a pronoun existed, I'm pretty sure Andrade would've still used "it." FWIW, it's pretty common in these sorts of hate-crime killing for the murders to engage in over-kill -- literally leaving their victims unrecognizable and/or extensively mutilated.

And expect both the "gay panic" and "deceptive tranny" themes to be trotted out at trial, as is usual in these cases. 'Course Andrade wasn't panic so badly that he couldn't take time out to steal from Zapata, including taking her car.
Even if such a pronoun existed, I'm pretty sure Andrade would've still used "it."

Yeah, I was about to say the same thing. The point isn't that Andrade didn't know what to call Zapata; it's that he specifically chose "it" to dehumanize her.
Also this narrative of discovery and deception is the killers; Angie can't tell her story. We dont know what happened, but I prefer not to automatically buy into the "trans-panic" explanation of this hideous crime. It seems equally possible to me that the killer was trolling the internet for easy, socially marginal marks.


This story was like a punch to the gut, and "it" was the brass knuckles. When I say that it makes me feel sick, I'm not speaking figuratively. Angie, I'm so sorry.

Space, I find that I have that problem sometimes (in my thoughts--I don't know any transfolk in real life as far as I know) when I know first that someone was born one sex and raised as the corresponding gender and then learn that s/he transitioned to another. If, for example, the first time I read about a transwoman, the story begins with her being born and raised as a male, I have a harder time assigning her the female pronoun in my mind. If I read about a woman and the fact that she's trans comes up at some point, then I'm already thinking "her" and "she" so there's no mental adjustment to be made. I still feel bad that I do that, but I think it's understandable. And it's certainly understandable for you and the rest of your family to have even more of a challenge adjusting to referring to your cousin as a male. As long as you and they are trying and making progress (sounds like you are, not sure about them) and not just saying, "Well, to me you'll always be [female name]." Then again, your cousin may feel very differently and I can totally understand him losing his patience after a while.

To return to the original topic, go to hell, Andrade.
I think my comment by itself might seem really insensitive.

I'm so sorry for Angie and her family and friends. And what JJohnson said. How many deaths will it take? How many people have to die before people start caring?


@ Lena: Hopefully what the police chief said in the article--that "Greenly is a very tolerant community, very sensitive to diversity"--is true and the judge and the jury won't listen to any of that crap, if it is used by the defense.

Because Zapata was trans, she went from being a woman with whom Andrade wanted to (and did) have sex, hang out with, and view as a human being

Given the violence of his reaction, I'm unconvinced that the bolded option was ever something this murderer considered.

Yet another reason why the oppression of any is the oppression of all.


@TheSeaHag: Yeah, I see what you mean - it makes sense that we tend to go by the first impression we had of someone's gender.

As for the rest of my family...I don't even know if many of them, especially my younger cousins in community college now, are even aware of the convention of referring to trans people as "he." My dad uses my cousin's male name, but he has always been homophobic/queerphobic enough to get off on politically incorrect humor about GLBTQ people, so there's always a tone of mocking or disapproval when he refers to our cousin by his male name. I don't think he really tries. I often let myself get away with calling my cousin by his birth name because his birth name was androgynous, but I do try to get the pronoun right, at least. My older sister...not sure, I think she tends to let herself off the hook. My younger sister, in fact, was the first of the extended family to learn of my cousin's hormonal transition, and being bi herself and very liberal, genuinely respects my cousin's transition.


Oh, god. TheSeaHag, I feel the same way. Rest in peace, Angie. And I have no words for your murderer, except that I wish I believed in a literal hell, so that he could burn there.

Space & TheSeaHag, one of the people I dated in high school, and remained good friends with, transitioned a few years later. Ze now prefers gender-neutral pronouns (ze and hir), or female pronouns in spaces where ze doesn't feel safe being openly genderqueer. The way I dealt with it was just to make a conscious effort to use hir preferred pronouns, and quit rationalizing using any others -- yeah, I was kind of tough on myself but it worked. Very quickly it seemed wrong to use any others.

I think of it as being very like the way most people usually react to a woman changing her name upon marriage -- they actually make a point of using her new name, calling her "Mrs So-and-so," as a way to signal their approval and congratulations of her new identity as wife. (The emphasis placed on the "wife" identity is, of course, problematic, but that's not my point here.) When my friend came out to me, I made a point of using hir new name and pronouns to signal my acceptance of hir gender identity. Now it's just who ze is, and it would feel as wrong to use male pronouns about hir as it would feel if someone used them about me (I'm a cis woman).

But I think the purposeful use of someone's preferred pronouns, to purposefully signal acceptance, can be a good first step towards getting your own mental space straight about their gender.


This story hurts and scares me so much. I am gender-queer, (I mainly present as female), a dear childhood friend of mine is trans, as is my spouse. This much hatred and fear makes me feel so small, and so unsafe. We may not fit into the little boxes that the majority of the world would prefer, we are still people, human beings and not objects or threats. I am so scared that I could lose my friend, my love, or even my own life for being ourselves.

THIS is one of the major reasons that I am a feminist, because I am sick and tired of being seen as an object that can simply be eliminated when I threaten someone else.

And expect both the "gay panic" and "deceptive tranny" themes to be trotted out at trial, as is usual in these cases.

Whether the court falls for that or not, far too much of the media will.


BTW, a typical example of the sort of blame-the-victim coverage that all-too-often in the wake of these sorts of murders, it's all Zapata's fault for deceiving Andrade.

From what I've seen, it's usually immediate families who have the most trouble with pronouns when a trans person transitions. In some cases it can be quite intentional, but usually s it's more of a case that it's harder for family to what's obviously a major change in how they perceive someone they've known for years. Consequently, many transitioners I know are willing to cut family some slack (for awhile) as long as they look like they're trying. But being on the receiving incorrect pronouns still usually hurts them pretty badly, regardless of whether it's done intentionally, for the reasons snowmentality mentioned.
He had to destroy all trace and presence of what he perceived as a mistake that impugned his very manhood.

That's it in a nutshell.

This is why I'm very, very glad that my ex-boyfriend Sarah is ALREADY PARTNERED while going through transition. I would hate to see something like this happen -- not that it should happen to ANYONE, but worse for it to be someone I know and care about.
reply


Dori brings up something I keep meaning to write about. (Sorry, if I'm totally O/T!)

Being white and middle-class (with many other trappings that come with those) has afforded me an enormous amount of privilege. It was rather a shock to really, REALLY realize that being genderqueer made me 'othered'. That I am the thing that so many are afraid of, so afraid of that they might kill me and others like me. This has introduced a whole new awareness that, while painful, I'm grateful for.

Someone else mentioned something that piqued in my mind too: they said that they didn't know whether they knew any trans*folk in real life. You probably wouldn't know (or automatically assume) that I'm genderqueer if you met me. I've been thinking a lot lately about how much should I tell people. Should I say anything? What if they're saying bigoted things about trans*folk - should I say, "Hey, I'm genderqueer"? I suppose the answer is to say as much or as little as I feel is appropriate or am comfortable saying. I just feel like if I hide all the time, I can't change anyone's mind, you know? Not that some people will ever change their little, lock-boxed minds, but I have to believe that most are worth a shot.
(I was going somewhere with this... shouldn't post after drinking >_<;;;


This just frightens me.. and I am so angry at that terrible excuse for a human being (Andrade). I'm a transwoman.. and recently became sexually mature (at 47!.. the wonders of putting off my real puberty)... I felt my orientation and am attracted to men. I can see myself so easily ending up as Angie did. It could happen to any of us. pre or post op.. if we misjudge the character of the person we're with. I would so like to date... to explore this ... but even a kiss goodnight could be a disaster.

Re: the earlier discussion about names and pronouns. You have no idea how important they are. It actually hurts when someone uses the wrong one... it's a signal that you don't accept who we are...that even if you're being polite, in you're mind we're still that facade that we had to show to the world until we could be ourselves.


Incredibly sad and most definitely a hate crime.

Not In Our Town


That article Lena linked to is absolutely infuriating. The one Melissa links to at least has Angie's FACE, and not a picture of an object that was used to KILL her- and not only that, they refer to Angie as "Justin".

Goddamn, I hope she can rest in peace.


RIP Angie. I hope you are in a place where you can be yourself without fear.


ARGH

Some idiot I'm debating with on this actually said that Andrade may have felt he was raped, because Zapata didn't disclose.

WHAT THE GIBBERING SHIT?

Sorry for the caps, but... OK, how does voluntarily getting a blowjob from someone who happens to have a penis you didn't originally know about turn into rape?

Generally speaking, I'm an advocate of disclosure--in a public place, before you get alone and could get hurt. I also think that it's respectful of people who may have had bad experiences with someone of your previous sex designation to be upfront about it.

But rape? No. Fucking. Way.

There are a hell of a lot of things that demand disclosure for the "informed" part of informed consent to be valid. But I just can't see this being one of them. You're having sex with a person, not a body part, so what, honestly, does it matter, unless you're already into reducing people to their bodies and not considering them fully human?

Sigh... Maybe this only makes sense to me because I'm utterly indifferent to the various plumbing configurations of the people I have sex with. Male, female, trans, intersex, pre-op, non-op, whatever. It's all just buttons to push to make someone feel good. They're important only in that they're part of the person I'm having a fun, intimate time with. If they suddenly morphed into alien tentacles in the middle of things, I might be a little surprised, but if the person with said tentacles is still the same, so be it. Then I 'sjust ask how I should best tweak said tentacles for the maximum pleasure of their owner.

I get that most people do have fairly stringent conditions on the genitals of the people they have sex with. If penises don't turn you on, fair enough. There's no requirement to touch them if they don't trip your triggers. But I simply don't see any element whatsoever of coercion in a simple case of non-disclosure. Some measure of dishonesty perhaps along the lines of someone who neglected to mention being married, sure, but it's not rape. Sheesh.


There is no way to justify the death of Ms. Zapata. Andrade should have simply left the situation, and he will have to be punished for his outrageous behaviour. I am having difficulty with the new definitions of consent to have sex. I wonder what would happen if a man pretended to be a woman so he could have sex with a lesbian. I suspect we would call that rape. Andrade's consent to the sexual act was vitiated because if he was aware of the true circumstances of Ms. Zapata he would not agreed to have sex. A person is not obligated to have sex with a transgendered person. I am not sure what the answer here is, it must be difficult for transgendered people to have to explain their situation to each potential sex partner, but I don't see an alternative in order to have consent. The whole thing is one tragedy.



This makes me sick. I'm going to go hug a trans person now. Luckily she's in my bed, and my spouse. I'm so glad that she's safe from dating, even if that doesn't mean she's safe.


I knew that even in the midst of the shitstorm you're facing you would care about this, Melissa, and that is why you're so goddamn awesome. I knew the Shakers would care, too, and that's why they're so goddamn awesome as well. (I think I'm probably M. in case you were wondering what with all the e-mail you're getting lately; sorry for forgetting to mention who I was.)

Angie....18 year old, baby girl.......I just hope you're at peace now and free....oh so free. I'm so sorry the world is the way it is. We have our teaspoons and we're trying.

[rxpharm]

and merged with topic in Academia

[manarak]

very very sad

but it shows again the necessity for the transgendered to not lie about their sex when it come to intimate encounters.

[thegame925]

Link to YouTube News Report on Angie Zapata Murder