Laverne Cox
Actress, producer and transgender advocate; co-creator and star, 'TRANSform Me'
Trans Womanhood on Trial: Transmisogyny in the Assault Trial of Former FDNY Firefighter Taylor Murphy
Posted: 12/11/2012 6:46 pm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laverne-cox/trans-womanhood-on-trial-transmisogyny-in-the-assault-trial-of-former-fdny-firefighter-taylor-murphy_b_2277892.htmlViolence against transgender people is a serious and pervasive issue. Far too many trans people, and particularly trans women of color, have been targeted in violent attacks. So reading about the trial of former New York City firefighter Taylor Murphy, who is accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, model Claudia Charriez, I was saddened and infuriated by the attempt of Murphy's legal counsel as well as the press to discredit and delegitimize Charriez. Many trans women who find ourselves the victims of violence, domestic or otherwise, often don't report the incidents, out of fear of being further victimized by the criminal justice system or the press. This is what Charriez is experiencing. Some 46 percent of trans people have reported feeling uncomfortable seeking police assistance. So with the epidemic of violence against trans people, it's important to call out the demonization of Charriez, an alleged domestic abuse survivor, by Murphy's defense attorney. It's also important to call out the objectification, sexualization and dehumanization of Claudia Charriez by the press, which by sensationalizing this trial and Charriez's identity, trivializes the very serious issue of violence against trans women.
[...]
Murphy's defense attorney opened the door for the mainstream press covering the trial to do what they love to do: objectify trans women's bodies. Last Friday newspapers reported that Charriez had endured four hours of cross examination aimed at discrediting her claims of assault. Irrelevant questions from the defense about whether or not she was on hormone therapy led to her revealing her surgical status. This and allegations of her having engaged in sex work in the past were all a few newspapers needed to completely exploit her identity and again trivialize violence against trans women. One newspaper referred to Charriez as a "pre-op transsexual hooker," a "surgically enhanced date" and a "heavily-breast-implanted blonde." This reporter said it was understandable that she would be mistaken for an employee at a strip club. The same reporter wrote, "Charriez later burst into dramatic, honking, masculine sobs when the defense lawyer mentioned another of her ex-boyfriends, this one deceased."
We can see why so many trans women fear reporting crimes against us, or going public in any way, for that matter. No one who has survived an allegedly abusive relationship should have to endure this kind of public objectification and dehumanization.
