Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Another Transgender Shooting In Memphis
Posted by Bianca Phillips on Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Just as yesterday's Shelby County Commission hearing on a GLBT workplace protection ordinance was set to begin, gay rights activists got word of a tragedy.
Last Wednesday, Terron Taylor of Whitehaven shot Kelvin Denton, a transgender woman, in the nose and throat after he learned that Denton was a biological male. As of press time, Denton is in critical condition at The Med.
The shooting occured at the Peppertree Apartments in Whitehaven. Taylor was arrested Friday and is being held on a $500,000 bond.
Two transgender woman — Duanna Johnson and Ebony Whitaker — were murdered last year, and another — Tiffany Berry — was shot in 2006.
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Why is this article classified as an "opinion"?
Cosette
Good question, Cosette. We're working on moving the blog under News, I believe. It just launched last week and we weren't sure where to put it...now it seems a better fit for the news category.
So like the local police are looking at this guy and his whereabouts on the dates of the other murders and assaults right? If they aren't SHAME on them! It does not take a brain surgeon to figure out that there is a pattern and similarities in M.O.
Nearly 1 in 3 Memphis trans women have been shot dead in the last 2 years. If this victim dies, it's close on 40%. Only 1 in 11,000 people is trans.
This is the only arrest. Duanna Johnson was shot before he could testify against the two cops who were caught on video attacking and beating her in a watchhouse.
Think about it: if ONE IN THREE of ANY other minority group had been murdered in the space of 2 years in any other US city, you think it might have been given a little publicity?
Soon the arguments about whether to give Memphis trans people equal employment tights will be moot: they'll all have been exterminated.
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