Another Murder

http://questioningtransphobia.wordpress.com/2008/02/11/another-murder/

February 11, 2008 at 1:53 pm (transphobic violence) (transphobic violence)

Sanesha Stewart was a woman of color, so naturally the press portrays her as a prostitute (even if her neighbors do not). Naturally the press portrays her as a "man who dressed like a woman" (even though she's not a man). Naturally, the press focuses on her height and the specific kinds of clothes she chose to wore (because she supposedly didn't look like a woman, even though she was one, because her appearance is somehow relevant to the fact that she was stabbed to death). Naturally, the press gives her birth name because that's totally relevant to the fact that she was murdered. And, naturally, the press implies that she was asking for it for daring to be trans and tricking a man into having sex with her - because, of course, no one would choose to have sex with a trans woman voluntarily, right? Because no one in the history of ever has knowingly had sex with a trans woman, killed her, and then used the deception excuse to get a lighter sentence, because people are stupid enough to believe that it's okay to murder someone for violating gender boundaries?