Teen gets probation for attacking transsexual

[LostInTime]

Palm Beach Post
By KATHLEEN CHAPMAN
Staff Writer

The teen who severely beat a preoperative transsexual on Palm Beach was sentenced to four and a half months of probation Thursday.

Palm Beach County Juvenile Court Judge Peter Blanc rejected recommendations from prosecutors and the Department of Juvenile Justice, who said the teen was likely to commit more crimes and should be locked in a high-security residential program.

[cindianna_jones]

"Blanc ordered him to finish high school, get a part-time job, go to counseling, perform community service and avoid the victim.

He also will have a curfew and remain on probation until he turns 19 in January."

Oh isn't that sweet.  He has to finish high school.....  jeez.

Cindi

[Kate]

I'm by no means excusing the brutality of the attacker and that he should have received a severe sentence, BUT...

Hearing about a "transsexual" seeking sex with underage boys sure doesn't help our stereotyped image much. And I'm not so sure this person IS a transsexual, in reading the description.

~Kate~

[Hazumu]

At the 'Anybody but Straight' bar often frequented by SGA members after our potlucks, there's one regular who doesn't completely fit the description of transsexual.  "Zoe", (not her real name) is tall and very passable.  She presents as female 24/7.  She hosted a bridal shower at her spacious, neat suburban home for a trans-woman who was engaged to be married.  She appears to prefer the company and attention of gay men.  And she would lose that if she were to undergo SRS.

Is she trans, or something else?

I can imagine the events that happened in the news article happening to Zoe if she chooses poorly one night.

The teenager in the article left upon discovery (good move.)  He returned specifically to beat up the trans woman in order to regain something he felt stolen from him by the encounter (in my opinion, a bad move for a stupid reason.)

These encounters have happened since time immemorial and will continue to happen.

How do we in the trans community work to build public perception that an incident such as this is isolated and does not and should not reflect on the trans community at large?

Karen

[Thundra]

Well,

I just read the same storyline on Planet Out and two thoughts come to mind:

One, when a person that is thirty-nine leeches onto 17 year-old boys for anonymous sex, it sure as hell is not going to do anything to halp slay the belief in the public that transsexuals are just gay men that change their appearance to attract str8 men. That is her right to do as she will, but it is bad news for the image of the people that get shoe-horned into her little box.

Secondly, this article in the local paper makes darn sure provide the information that she is pre-operative, because that information is necessary in the public to gain sympathy for the "male victim." Without that sympathy factor, you have no basis for appealing to the public ear for gay panic defense. They have been using that stratefy for years to justify beating or killing gay men, ala Matthew Shepard, and since trannsexuals are viewed for the most part as gay men (as noted above). The only way for a man to regain his heterosexual status, under these rules, is to show that he was a victim of a gay man "disguised" as a woman.

Ahhh, it's all so sad that men waste all of that time and energy on posturing, when the truth is that most of them are willing to get busy with other men if they can remain anonymous.
I find it hilarious that they can be so revolted by that which atrracted them. I think it speaks to their own level of sexual confusion and lack of self esteem.