No longer on the fringe

[LostInTime]

Slaying raises awareness of violence in transgender community

Heskin lived her life on her own terms, but it's her death -- why she was bludgeoned on the head repeatedly with a hammer -- that is still something of a mystery.

To the transgender community, however, it's not a mystery. Her death is just another piece of an unsettling pattern. It's a trend of violence against transgender people that is largely ignored by America, advocates say, just as the transgender population as a whole is ignored.

On Tuesday, the man accused of murdering Heskin heads to court to pursue his not-guilty plea. Throughout the trial, Heskin's family will be sitting in the back of the courtroom with pictures of her in hand. Meanwhile, transgender advocates will try to put a face to the statistics and change the national mindset.