Lest it go unnoticed
In all tha hullaballoo of Prop 8, this story came out. I hope that there's attention being paid to it as well.
Transgender Beating Victim Found Dead in North Memphis
Memphis Flyer
November 10, 2008 - 02:06PM
Memphis police identified the body of transgender woman Duanna Johnson lying in the street near Hollywood and Staten Avenue early this morning.
Police believe Johnson was shot some time before midnight on Sunday. No suspects are in custody at this time.
Johnson was the victim of a Memphis police brutality case this summer when a video of former officer Bridges McRae beating her in a jail holding area was released to the media.
The video led to the eventual firing of McRae and Officer James Swain. It also led to the formation of a Stop Police Brutality Memphis, a coalition of human rights activists who lobbied the city council for more sensitivity training for Memphis Police officers.
A statement from the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center: "Duanna bravely confronted the Memphis Police Department officers who brutalized her while she was in police custody. At great personal cost, Duanna was the public face of our community's campaign against racism, homophobia, and transphobia. There was no justice for Duanna Johnson in life. The Mid-South Peace & Justice Center calls for justice in the investigation and prosecution of Duanna's murder."
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I am one that believes we don't need to leave out parts of our greater queer community as we move forward for equal rights. It bothered me that it seemed acceptable to HRC to leave trans-persons out of ENDA. I hope that as we move forward that we move forward together, that if the choice is between smaller rights for the whole group or leaving one group out, that we choose smaller rights.
Transgender Beating Victim Found Dead in North Memphis
Memphis Flyer
November 10, 2008 - 02:06PM
Memphis police identified the body of transgender woman Duanna Johnson lying in the street near Hollywood and Staten Avenue early this morning.
Police believe Johnson was shot some time before midnight on Sunday. No suspects are in custody at this time.
Johnson was the victim of a Memphis police brutality case this summer when a video of former officer Bridges McRae beating her in a jail holding area was released to the media.
The video led to the eventual firing of McRae and Officer James Swain. It also led to the formation of a Stop Police Brutality Memphis, a coalition of human rights activists who lobbied the city council for more sensitivity training for Memphis Police officers.
A statement from the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center: "Duanna bravely confronted the Memphis Police Department officers who brutalized her while she was in police custody. At great personal cost, Duanna was the public face of our community's campaign against racism, homophobia, and transphobia. There was no justice for Duanna Johnson in life. The Mid-South Peace & Justice Center calls for justice in the investigation and prosecution of Duanna's murder."
--------
I am one that believes we don't need to leave out parts of our greater queer community as we move forward for equal rights. It bothered me that it seemed acceptable to HRC to leave trans-persons out of ENDA. I hope that as we move forward that we move forward together, that if the choice is between smaller rights for the whole group or leaving one group out, that we choose smaller rights.