Syracuse Trial Spotlights Violence Against Transwomen of Color

categories: Hate Crimes, LGBT Rights and Politics, Transgender Issues

Published July 15, 2009 @ 06:59AM PT

Lateisha Green

This week, LGBT legal eyes are turned toward Syracuse, New York, where one man is facing murder charges and hate crime charges for killing Lateisha Green, a 22-year transwoman of color. The details of Green's murder are certainly unique to her case, but spotlight a growing trend of violence against transwomen of color. From Memphis, Tennessee to Greeley, Colorado and now to Syracuse, New York, transwomen of color are paying a huge price when it comes to the issue of hate crimes against the LGBT population.

Here's some background on the case of Lateisha Green, from the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF):

On November 14, 2008, Lateisha "Teish" Green was shot and killed outside a house party in Syracuse, New York. The accused shooter, Dwight R. DeLee, was allegedly motivated by anti-LGBT bias and his belief that Lateisha was gay.

Hate crimes charges have been brought against Lee, because (thankfully) New York is one of the states that has hate crimes laws on the books that include protections for sexual orientation and gender identity (CORRECTION: Thanks to commenter Abigail Jensen, who points out that New York does not have hate crimes protections based on gender identity. The reason hate crimes charges are being brought in this case is because the threatening language that DeLee allegedly used dealt with sexual orientation, not gender identity.).

Which is something our federal government does not have. At least not yet. Word has it that a vote on the Matthew Shepard Act could come as early as this week in the U.S. Senate (note Senator Harry Reid's press conference yesterday with Judy Shepard, pushing for passage of more inclusive hate crimes laws).

Lateisha Green's murder is yet another tragic instance that sheds light on the uptick in violence toward transwomen of color. A Facebook page, Justice for Teish Green, has been formed to bring together online activists and friends of the victim to push for adequate hate crimes laws and justice in this case. As the organizers of the Facebook page write:

Far too many young transwomen of color have been murdered in the past 10 years, often with no arrests or a low conviction rate. This injustice cannot be allowed to continue!

They're exactly right. Paula Johnson, a Syracuse Law Professor who is an expert in racially-motivated crimes, said that Lateisha's case demonstrates gaping holes in our justice system. It falls on all of our shoulders to correct these gaps:

Here the matter is sexual orientation or transgender identity. It's all about human dignity. It's really about the significance of the person, that we have to respect that, that we have to honor that, that we have to ensure that all our systems of justice do something about that. As I said, attention must be paid and we must pay attention.

You can follow much more about the Lateisha Green case here, or you can follow the tweets of GLAAD and TLDEF, who have staff members in Syracuse, New York covering the trial.

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Comments (7)

     Unfortunately, throughout US history, there are those who will not apply legal protections to some citizens unless orced to do so. Even making laws is not enough without making provision for enforcement of those laws. For a hundred years after the emancipation proclamation, the legal rights of african americans were routinely ignored with little protection from police, or the courts. Police and the courts in many parts of the country colluded to systematically deprive our citizens of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

     Aside from that, what essentially amounted to domestic terror organizations (like the KKK) were allowed to operate with impunity.

     I am saddened by the fact that we have to force some people to not oppress another. I understand the need for legislation to protect the LGBT community from violent crime, but am disappointed that such specific legislation and enforcement is necessary.

Posted by William Brown on 07/15/2009 @ 08:49AM PT
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Indeed.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 07/15/2009 @ 02:55PM PT
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Actually, Michael, due to what can only graciously be called "compromises," when the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act was passed in NY some 8 years ago, both hate crimes and non-discrimination protections for trans people were removed. And, as has been the unfortunate pattern in other states with a similar history, gender identity and expression protections have yet to be added to NY law. Consequently, DeLee is not being prosecuted for a hate crime for targeting Teish Green because she was transgender, but only due to the fortuitous circumstances that many in the crowd called her, and her brother Mark, "faggots," thus allowing the hate crime charged based on sexual orientation. If they'd yelled "f*****g tranny" instead, that charge could never have been charged. (Here can see a map of the hate crimes coverage of various states here: http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/issue_maps/hate_crimes_4_09_color.pdf.)

Posted by Abigail Jensen on 07/15/2009 @ 09:25AM PT
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Abigail -- Thanks for the correction! Just updated the post to reflect this. For shame, New York!

Posted by Michael Jones on 07/15/2009 @ 10:49AM PT
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Violence against Transgender people is unjustified and the perpetrators must receive the punishment they deserve, thus the federal government must add gender identity and sexual orientation to their list of federal hate crimes. President Obama must be prominent for the support of the bill which will add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of hate crimes. It's unfortunate that Lateisha Green was murdered and hopefully violence against the Transgender will decrease.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 07/15/2009 @ 01:47PM PT
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Even I, myself, who has never been all that comfortable with the issue of transgenderism would be the first in line to say that this was a transgender hate crime...As is only correct to call it and I agree with you folks about it being both shamefull and wrong that such laws have to be both implemented and enforced when equal protection for all is nothing more or less than the right thing to have.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 07/15/2009 @ 03:00PM PT
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Posted by rockstar babu on 07/20/2009 @ 02:07AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.