You’re So Brave

How many times have we heard this? I don’t feel brave, yes we face harassment and discrimination every day but if you are white and middle class the odds are a lot better than if you are black or Latino.

More attacks on transgender women in Brazil
Spectrum
 By Kerry Cardoza
Posted February  4, 2016

There have been at least two more attacks on transgender women in Brazil, following reports that the country has had 48 trans murders so far this year.

Two transgender women were shot early Saturday morning in the Industrial Park neighborhood of São Paulo, Globo G1 reported.
[…]
Another transgender woman, Pamella, was shot in the head on Saturday “during the Carnival Teresina Parade on Raul Lopes Avenue,” Planet Transgender reported. Reports from the woman’s friends speculate that the incident was not a hate crime, but that Pamella and her friends had found a gun and it was accidentally fired.

Globo G1 reported back in January that,

Transvestite is shot in the head during Corso Zé Pereira de Teresina
According to the Military Police, the victim had quarreled with another person.
Travesty of Friends reported that she was playing with gun when fired.
By Catarina Costa
January 31, 2016

A transvestite identified only as Pamella was shot in the head at night this Saturday (30) during the Corso Teresina in Raul Lopes Avenue. According to the Military Police, the case took place in front of the mall when the victim fell out with someone else.
[…]
Pamella underwent surgery and remains hospitalized at the Emergency Hospital in Teresina (HUT). The delegate Adelmar Canabrava, holder of the 12th Police District, said it would also gather information on the case and did not confirm the version of the transvestite friends.
[Translated by Google]

To me these trans women are brave, they face death every day. Every time they go out the door they never know if it will be their last day. Violence in countries with either religious oppression or a “Macho” culture can make all LGBT people at risk.

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Update 11:00AM

I just found this on Planet Transgender

Brazilian Trans Activist Melissa Campus Attacked
Added by Kelli Busey on February 9, 2016.

Transgender activist Melissa Campus was attacked on her way home January 12th. The attack which begun as simple robbery turned violent when then assailant realized that Mellisa’s was transgender. What he didn’t know was that this attack would make headlines.
[…]
The attack…
I was returning from a trip to arriving at 02:30 at the Londrina bus station. I was very tired and just wanted to get home. As I got into a taxi, a man appeared out of nowhere, jumping in front of the taxi and accusing me of stealing their belongings, saying I couldn’t leave. All I had with me was my luggage.

Still he kept accusing me saying that I had his belongings when he noticed that I was a trans woman and began to publicly humiliate me questioning my feminine identity, using male pronouns, intentionally misgendering me.

All the people who were there just watched as he pulled me out of the car, and the driver did absolutely nothing and refused to intervene. I only asked him to me take away, but the driver refused, putting me face to face with the aggressor, who started assaulting me with punches, kicks and trying to pin me.

I screamed for the police, security guards, taxi drivers, anyone, but no one did anything. They were watching and laughing!