Transgender slaying advertised to raise awareness
By Associated Press
Apr 9, 2009 - 6:10:08 PM
http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_11052.phpSuspect in death of Angie Zapata accused of beating teenager to death after discovering she was transgender
DENVER — A Colorado gay rights group is taking out newspaper ads to raise awareness about an upcoming murder trial of a man accused of killing a transgender woman in Greeley.
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado has advertised the trial in 22 state newspapers. The group wants to remind people about Angie Zapata, a teenager who was beaten to death last July.
Allen Andrade of Thornton is accused of killing the transgender Zapata with his fists and a fire extinguisher after discovering she was biologically male. His trial begins Tuesday, April 14 in Weld County.
The trial marks the first case involving a transgender murder tried under the sexual orientation section of the state's hate crime law. Colorado's hate crime statutes included sexual orientation beginning in 2005, and the state is one of 11 across the country that have such designations in their laws.
