*weeping*

[teleen_fiction]

Missing Trans Woman Found Dead

There are several issues here, so I'm going to try and address them one at a time and be as coherent as I can despite my surprisingly overwhelming sense of grief for someone I didn't even know.

A quote from the article: She worked with people with disabilities but also had a police record for prostitution.

It saddens me beyond all measure that they felt the need to mention her police record for prostitution in the same breath as her work with those with disabilities.  As if one negated the other.

But I forgot.  Sex workers are inherently tainted, aren't they? 

As far as her status as a trans woman and the bearing it has here, given past cases, I have to wonder if it wasn't the cause of her death.  If the person who killed her (assuming it was murder - the police report says she died of asphyxiation, but not if it was due to an outside person) did so because they found out she'd been born with male genitalia.  And it makes me think of all the people out there who think that transgender persons are under ANY obligation to disclose their status, when the leading cause of death among transgender persons is MURDER because of ignorant bigots finding out their status.

To be clear: if you think that a trans person should tell anyone that they are trans for ANY reason whatsoever, you're an asshole.  It's their business and only theirs.  Not yours.  Not mine.  Only.  THEIRS.  Period. 

I've had this argument before and I'm going to make something else clear - I'm done arguing.  If you have an opinion that differs, keep it to yourself.  While I'm normally okay with having discussions here... not about this, not today and maybe not ever again.  Not when I keep seeing stories like this because of the sort of hatred that still exists in this world that will allow a bigot to justify ending an innocent life simply because of how that person is living it.   

Again, I don't know that this woman was murdered, but given past history, it's the most likely cause of her death. 

Cross-posted to Abolish Slavery - Legalize Prostitution.

Comments

[darth-eldritch.livejournal.com]

:(

She probably was murdered.

Life is a like a box of fucking chocolates. You decide to have a night of fun with someone, whether it is paid for or not, you take on the risks of what you might discover. No one is obligated to divulge anything to you.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

This.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I saw that sentence and had a similar reaction. But was the wrong conjunction. And would have been fine, if possibly irrelevant (although it's worth noting that sex work is often the only work available to trans women). Sex workers can and do care about their communities. Oi.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

Oi pretty much sums it up for me. On that note, several of the dancers with whom I work volunteered at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. And a lot of us volunteer for "Toys For Ta Tas" which raises thousands of dollars in toys and outright donations every Christmas.

When I posted this on facebook, someone also pointed out that her trans status was also irrelevant, :(.

[devilc.livejournal.com]

To be clear: if you think that a trans person should tell anyone that they are trans for ANY reason whatsoever

Actually are valid reasons that a medical professional might need to know this to help with the diagnosis of some biologically based gender illnesses (eg. ovarian cancer, if they were left behind) or the fact that there are several drugs that women and men metabolize differently. For example, women are several times more likely then men to be intolerant to Erythromycin, and the exact reasons are not known. If I were a medical professional and writing a scrip, I'd like to know if I were dealing with a (trans)man so I could avoid prescribing him a drug that could possibly give him several hours of projectile vomiting and assorted gastrointestinal misery.

But outside of a medical professional's need to know to provide quality medical care? I can't think of any other reason that this is need to know information.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

Agreed, but I was thinking more of those who say that a trans person who doesn't disclose to their partner is guilty of rape. :(

[slashmarks.livejournal.com]

*hugs* This is from a stranger, so I feel a little awkward, but I think I know how you feel, being trans myself.

I found you via your comment on the lovely explosion on antitheism, and was curious enough to come and read.

[teleens-journal.livejournal.com]

Hugs are always welcome, :).

And I feel a little awkward myself, as I'm not trans (though I've questioned, from time-to-time), but there was just so much wrong in this article that I didn't feel I could let it pass without comment. The sex work aspect was what affected me personally and there have been arguments (and bannings) over trans persons having a 'duty' to disclose here before, which was why I brought it up at all.

*hugs back*

[slashmarks.livejournal.com]

Don't feel awkward about bringing attention to transphobia when you're not trans -- speaking personally, it's always really, really nice when someone shows that they care about us even when they aren't one of us.

Mind if I friend you?