STAFF WARNING
The desired gender of the person in question in the following articles is unclear. While one article refers to Bri, the other refers to Brian and says the person did not wish labels.
So these articles in no way represent the opinions of Susan or her staff. We intend no disrespect to the person and any family or friends.
For fareness i added here a second article adding to the discussion about the gender confusion.
22 Year Old Ohio Trans Woman Stabbed to Death By Father
Sue Kerr, February 15.2015.
22-year-old Bri Golec has recently returned to a transgender support group in the Akron, Ohio area. She had participated a few years ago, then stopped attending. Recently, she began to more assertively explore her gender identity.
Sadly, Bri will not have the chance to continue her journey after an altercation with her father, Kevin Golec, left her dead in their home.
More at:
http://www.pghlesbian.com/2015/02/22-year-old-ohio-trans-woman-stabbed-to-death-by-father/
Added by news staff
Akron father-son fought about dad's heroin use prior to fatal stabbing
By Adam Ferrise, Northeast Ohio Media Group
Feb. 16, 2015
http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2015/02/akron_father-son_fought_about.html (http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2015/02/akron_father-son_fought_about.html)
"AKRON, Ohio --Brian Golec told his friends an hour before he died that he believed his father was doing drugs and stealing money, according to police. Now his father is accused of stabbing him to death."
Later in the article it states
"Close friends said that Brian Golec once identified as a woman and went by the name "Bri." They said that his gender identity was fluid, and in the year leading up to his death, he went by "Brian." "
Looks like at least one media outlet got the gender correct.
It's starting to look like this might be the second murder of the year that the trans community incorrectly appropriates. Golec's close friends and fiance are saying that Golec went by Bri and questioned their identity for a period, but ultimately was comfortable with identifying as male. Golec also identified by the name Brian and male on their personal Facebook page, as well as on the social media of the band they were in. Remember that gender expression and gender identity do not always match and it is very possible this person identified by male while expressing in a feminine manner.
Quote from: skin on February 16, 2015, 10:24:12 PM
It's starting to look like this might be the second murder of the year that the trans community incorrectly appropriates. Golec's close friends and fiance are saying that Golec went by Bri and questioned their identity for a period, but ultimately was comfortable with identifying as male. Golec also identified by the name Brian and male on their personal Facebook page, as well as on the social media of the band they were in. Remember that gender expression and gender identity do not always match and it is very possible this person identified by male while expressing in a feminine manner.
Wouldn't that make (him) a crossdresser? And if so, wouldn't this be appropriate for the "trans community"--a community that includes CD's?
Quote from: Beth Andrea on February 17, 2015, 12:42:12 AM
Wouldn't that make (him) a crossdresser?
Possibly, but from the account their bandmate gave, this person hated labels. And I certainly know people who are gender non-conforming who would reject the label crossdresser.
Quote from: Beth Andrea on February 17, 2015, 12:42:12 AM
And if so, wouldn't this be appropriate for the "trans community"--a community that includes CD's?
Possibly. Though if certain reports are true, the conflict was over the father's drug use. It's possible that how this person presented theirself had no bearing on their murder. What I do know is it is completely inappropriate to assign the identity of trans woman to someone who identified as male in order to further a cause. The stats of trans women murdered are going to be bad enough by the end of the year, we shouldn't be so eager to pad that stat by misgendering people that identify as male just because they have a feminine appearance.
Quote from: skin on February 17, 2015, 12:58:52 AM
Possibly, but from the account their bandmate gave, this person hated labels. And I certainly know people who are gender non-conforming who would reject the label crossdresser.
Possibly. Though if certain reports are true, the conflict was over the father's drug use. It's possible that how this person presented theirself had no bearing on their murder. What I do know is it is completely inappropriate to assign the identity of trans woman to someone who identified as male in order to further a cause. The stats of trans women murdered are going to be bad enough by the end of the year, we shouldn't be so eager to pad that stat by misgendering people that identify as male just because they have a feminine appearance.
But "we" didn't assign anything in order to further a cause...the WKYZ report (a mainstream media outlet) is the one which did that. Are you suggesting that this person is not trans? If so, where are the links about this? You mentioned bandmates, "certain reports", "close friends and fiance"...are these sources unavailable online?
Just wondering...for myself it's neither here nor there, because a person has died by violence. But given that you've come into a thread in order to splash cold water on things, you should at least provide some sources.
Bandmate Geoff Ackerman - "Did Brian at one time identify as Bri? Yes. However, within the last year or so, he identified as Brian, and if I had to put a label on him (something he would hate, by the way), he would identify as an androgynous pansexual man,"
Brian's social media presence seems to confirm this. Brian is lists his gender as male on Facebook despite his feminine appearance in his profile picture. There is also an account under the name of Bri, but it has been inactive since 2012 and even that one is listed as male.
Another friend of his, Dominic Joseph Catalano, said this:
QuoteHis fiancée, Sarah Price, as well as myself and others are outraged at this misinformation. We find it highly insensitive and disgusting that these lies are being publicized only two short days after the incident, as if it were some tabloid gossip.
Brian was always a supporter of the transgender community and so am I (being bisexual myself). You have the permission of his loved ones to say that he was an LGBTQ ally. But he was NOT transgender himself.
The REAL reason he was killed: because he was allowing his heroin addicted biological father, Kevin Golec, to sleep on his couch. He wanted to support his dad when no one else would. It was discovered that Kevin had been stealing Brian and Sarah's belongings to pawn for dope money, and Brian confronted him about it Friday night. An argument ensued, and it escalated to the point of violence. Kevin stabbed Brian to death in his drug-addicted desperation. It had NOTHING to do with Brian's sexuality or gender identity. The "cult" that Kevin tried to use as an excuse was the Wiccan coven that Brian and I were in together. Brian was an avid teacher and practitioner of the occult and spiritualism. But no, we were not part of a cult. Wicca has been recognized as a religion in the U.S. since 1986.
In conclusion, Brian was an amazing pure-hearted idealist who touched the hearts of many individuals. People who had no one else, he would altruistically accept as friends. Brian had a tremendously difficult life, but he persevered and held the most noble intentions until the very end.
Sarah is outraged at this twisted fabrication. Personally, I find it to be disgraceful and insensitive. We would appreciate it if you would take down the articles and quit perpetuating this lie that Brian was a transgender female. Please, for the sake of his loved ones, don't add insult to injury. We're having a tough enough time of things right now. We don't need this added. Thank you.
Brian, his friends, and his fiancee all have very public privacy settings on their facebook pages. Just a quick glance at them supports everything his friends have said.
I am not suggesting this person doesn't fit into the trans community, I am suggesting he is not a trans woman. And I am splashing cold water on this because I respect people's right to self-identify and the fact that all of these stories today are also citing "Goddess Edwards" as a trans woman murdered this year really disturbs me. Lamar Edwards was a gay man who was murdered last month. Because there was a picture of him in drag, people jumped on it and "corrected" media reports to gender him properly. One person, who could not find a first name that matched this narrative that he was a murdered trans woman claimed his identity had been erased and therefore was going to refer to him as "Goddess Edwards." That name by which he had never identified with has stuck and appears on many of the trans women murdered in 2015 lists. This is despite the fact that those close to him insisted he identified as a gay male - an that looks like he took pride in from the looks of his Facebook. How is the fact that Lamar Edwards identity erased in death any different than a situation like Jennifer Gable's? If anything, it is more egregious to me because I would think the trans community would be hyper-aware of how important the right to self-identify is.
People calm down on the misgenderring issue please. I am locking temporarily this thread for admin review.
I have added an article stating what Skin mentionned and a warning. Until said otherwise we are unsure as to the gender of B. Golec as journalists are contradicting each other.
So keep the discussion civil and keep arguments away from this thread.
I have unlocked the topic. No reason to get into a pee contest. We are talking about a loss of a life. A human and respect in the fact it seems to be taken by a parent makes it even more troubling.
I also split out the topic just so the arguments can calm down.
Remember we have site rules and will be enforced. :police:
If you forgot they can be found here.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,2.0.html
Thank you and stay positive.
Mrs. Izzy
News Admin