This And That In The News

"This And That In The News" is about articles in the news that have caught my eye and I want to comment about. There are three articles that caught my attention today. The first is about the beating of a trans-woman a couple of months ago just outside of Baltimore. One of the perpetrators just pleaded guilty.

Teen pleads guilty to beating transgender woman at Rosedale McDonald's
Prosecutors to seek 10-year sentence, with 5 years suspended, in case that drew national notoriety
The Baltimore Sun
By Andrea F. Siegel
August 04, 2011

A teenager pleaded guilty Thursday in the beating of a transgender woman at a Rosedale McDonald's, an incident that was caught on video and drew national attention after it went viral online.

Teonna Monae Brown, 19, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of first-degree assault and one hate crime count in the April attack on Chrissy Lee Polis, 22, which became a rallying point for transgender-rights advocates across the state and nationwide.

Prosecutors will seek a prison sentence for Brown of 10 years with five years suspended, said Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger. The combined maximum sentence for the crimes is 35 years.

A 14-year-old girl who was charged as a juvenile in the same attack admitted her responsibility to identical counts July 1 in juvenile court and was committed to a juvenile facility, Shellenberger said.
[…]
"Asking for five years is a good sentence where the person has no prior convictions, and we are very pleased that this case has now been resolved," Shellenberger said. He said it was important to Polis that Brown admit guilt.

I would have like to see her get the 35 years, but at least she pleaded guilty and the victim doesn’t have to testify and be re-victimized.

The next article is about a possible serial attacker who is preying on trans-women in the Washington DC area…

D.C. police probe whether 2 attacks on transgender people were motivated by hate
The Washington Post
By June Q. Wu
August 5, 2011

D.C. police are investigating whether two recent attacks on transgender people within a block of each other in Northeast Washington were motivated by hate, police said Tuesday.

The attacks — the first of which was fatal — are not yet classified as hate crimes, but police said they are trying to determine whether the sexual identities of the victims played a role.

“I’m very disturbed to learn that a second transgender victim in as many weeks has been targeted with gun violence on a stretch of Dix Street NE,” D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) said. “In the wake of the first incident, I expressed concern about the possibility of it being a hate crime. This second incident increases that concern.”
[…]
Police said Tuesday that the attack may be linked to the June 20 death of a 23-year-old transgender person in the same area.

Now there’s an understatement “I expressed concern about the possibility of it being a hate crime.” Two trans women shot in two weeks with the same MO.

In the last article, threats were made Facebook by a LGBT activists against a feminist who submitted an anti-transgender paper to the United Nationals Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.

Threat linked to treasurer of Fairness PAC
Group condemns violent posting
Courier Journal
By Peter Smith
August 8, 2011

The posting appeared Sunday on the Facebook page of Anthony Casebeer of Louisville, treasurer of the Fairness Campaign's Committee for Fairness and Individual Rights, in reaction to a paper submitted to the United Nations and co-authored by lesbian activist Cathy Brennan of Maryland. Brennan's paper opposed the extension of transgender rights that it argued could curtail the rights of women.

The posting on Casebeer's page stated of Brennan: a “nice home run swing to the head with a 38-oz. Louisville Slugger is more in order.”

It went on to say that if the poster “ever saw her in my windshield, I'll be wiping blood off my white Buick. But I won't be using the brakes.”

Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, said the organization and its PAC “condemn Mr. Casebeer's statements” but was also trying to confirm that Casebeer was the author.

I know it is sometimes hard to read the hateful language that our opposition writes about us. However, we should never stoop down to their level; we should always take the high ground. Let us counter their hateful speech with logic and reason, we should never condone hate speech no matter where it comes from.

Update: 8/10/11 7:55AM
Courier Journal

The political action committee of the Fairness Campaign accepted the resignation of its treasurer Tuesday after a Facebook post linked to his account in which he used violent, threatening language against a lesbian activist.