Iowa Senate passes bill on crime against transgender people – LGBTQ Nation

The Iowa Senate has passed a bill that would make it a hate crime in Iowa to commit an offense against a person because that person identifies as transgender.

The Democratic-controlled chamber voted 27-21 Tuesday for the bill. It now heads to the Republican-majority House, where its future is unclear. The bill must be voted out of a full committee by Friday to meet a legislative deadline for the session.

BREAKING: Iowa Senate passes bill on crime against transgender people – LGBTQ Nation

New Kentucky bill would reward people for ‘catching’ trans students in ‘wrong’ bathroom

As Dan notes, all this bill is doing is rewarding bullying and harassment.

A bill in Kentucky is offering to pay students $2,500 if they “catch” a trans student in the “wrong” bathroom, meaning a bathroom designated for anything other than the students gender assigned to them at birth.

The bills sponsor, Republican state Sen. C.B. Embry says the bill is not bigoted and that he supports anti-bullying legislation and says he has a gay friend.

While claiming he supports anti-bullying legislation, he is sponsoring a bill that pays students to conduct such bullying. Bullying is not only physical assault, but is also the psychological abuse of shaming students for using the bathroom of the gender in which a student identifies.

New Kentucky bill would reward people for ‘catching’ trans students in ‘wrong’ bathroom

Friends and Family Mourn Texas Trans Man Nino Acox Jackson | Advocate.com

Members of the Living Faith Covenant Church, an LGBT-affirming congregation in Dallas, gathered on February 22 to celebrate the life of Nino Acox Jackson, a 26-year-old black transgender man.

The Rowlett Police Department found Jackson deceased on February 16 in Lake Ray Hubbard, according to the Dallas Voice. Jackson had been missing since January 19.

Texas Department of Public Safety officials found Jackson’s cream Pontiac Firebird abandoned on the southbound side of President George Bush Turnpike at 9:30 a.m. on January 20, reports the Dallas Voice. Police issued a “critical missing” bulletin the same day.

Although officials reportedly searched the waters of Lake Ray Hubbard, their initial search was fruitless, and Jackson’s body was not discovered until nearly a month later. While the exact circumstances of his death are unknown, a spokesperson for the Rowlett police told The Voice that Jackson may have committed suicide. 

Friends and Family Mourn Texas Trans Man Nino Acox Jackson | Advocate.com

UPDATED::Police identify transgender woman stabbed to death in Frankford | 6abc.com

UPDATE:: Second arrest made in transgender woman's killing

A second person has been arrested in the stabbing death of a transgender woman in Frankford last month, police said Thursday.

Jose Pena, 19, of the 900 block of Pratt Street in the Summerdale section of Northeast Philadelphia, was taken into custody by homicide detectives on Wednesday and charged in the stabbing death of Maya Young.

On Tuesday, police arrested and charged Tiffany Floyd, 24, of the 4300 block of Cloud Street, in Frankford, with murder in Young's killing.

UPDATE::  Woman arrested in transgender stabbing death

A 24-year-old woman was arrested Tuesday and charged with killing Maya Young, a 25-year-old transgender woman who was stabbed to death in Frankford last month.

Tiffany E. Floyd, 24, is being held without bond on murder and conspiracy charges, according to court records.

Authorities said more arrests were "imminent," but they did not elaborate Tuesday night.

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Philadelphia Police have identified a transgender woman stabbed to death in the Frankford section of Philadelphia late Saturday night.

Investigators say 25-year-old Mya Young was found at 11:50 p.m. Saturday.

She had been stabbed multiple times in the 4800 block of Penn Street.

Police identify transgender woman stabbed to death in Frankford | 6abc.com

Advocates Search for Answers in Bakersfield Trans Woman’s Killing | Advocate.com

In the absence of specifics from police surrounding the alleged murder of a transgender woman in Bakersfield, California, advocates are searching for clues about her life and death.

Police found the body of Jasmine Sierra, a transgender woman of color, on January 22 in an apartment on the 1000 block of Monterey Street, according to a report from local TV station KBAK. Police say Sierra’s body showed signs of trauma and foul play is suspected. Whether the police found the body in Sierra's home or a neighbor's house is still unknown.

While police reportedly interviewed neighbors and witnesses about hearing gunshots and fighting, they won't release further specifics about the circumstances of Sierra’s death. Calls to Bakersfield police were not returned by press time.

The alleged murder was not included among the other four homicides of transgender individuals in the United States this year because Sierra's gender-variant identity was unknown due to deadnaming and misgendering in the KBAK report. (Deadnaming occurs when using a transgender person’s former name, and misgendering occurs when identifying a trans person with pronouns or usages that depart from the person’s gender identity and expression.)

Advocates Search for Answers in Bakersfield Trans Woman’s Killing | Advocate.com

UPDATED::Utah proposal would protect LGBTQ people from hate crimes – LGBTQ Nation

UPDATE::  Utah lawmakers reject hate crimes proposal

Utah’s GOP-controlled Senate has rejected a proposal to beef up the state’s hate crimes law and add protections for gay and transgender people.

The proposal from Republican Sen. Steve Urquhart would give heavier punishments for crimes motivated by factors such as a victim’s race, gender, religion.

The measure failed by six votes in the 29-member Senate on Wednesday. Lawmakers say they’re concerned it could create special protections for some people and punish people for their thoughts.

UPDATE:  Lawmaker: Mormon church ‘snuffed out’ Utah hate crimes bill

A Mormon Utah senator working to pass a hate crimes bill protecting gay and transgender people criticized his church Thursday for thwarting the measure by urging legislators not to upset a balance between religious and LGBT rights.

Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “effectively snuffed out” discussion on his proposal with its statement.

Church spokesman Dale Jones said in the statement Wednesday that lawmakers struck a balance last year with an anti-discrimination law that protected religious rights and LGBT rights. Jones said that balance should be maintained despite efforts on both ends of the political spectrum to upset it.
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“Under current Utah law, there’s no legal distinction between painting a smiley face on a synagogue or painting a swastika on a synagogue. They’re both treated like mere graffiti,” Urquhart said.

UPDATE::  Utah Senate panel OKs bill adding LGBT protections to hate crime law

A proposal to add protections for gay and transgender people to the Utah‘s hate crime law cleared its first test Thursday when it was approved on a 5-1 vote by a Senate committee.

In addition to protections for LGBT people, supporters said the measure but also beefs up the state’s existing hate crimes law, which they argued is difficult to enforce and makes it tough to seriously punish crimes intended to target someone based on race or religion.

Several conservative and religious groups opposed to the measure say they worry it makes thoughts and beliefs a crime and carves out special protections for some classes of people.
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 Urquhart is working on an accompanying proposal to make it clear that a person’s membership in a specific group or hate speech along[sic] cannot be evidence that something was a hate crime. The comments or actions must be specifically related to the crime — such as stating an intent to attack a specific person because of their race, not past statements against members of a race.

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A new proposal could make it a hate crime in Utah to harm someone because they are gay or transgender.

A bill unveiled by a Republican lawmaker Thursday would dole out stiffer penalties for crimes against people or their property that are motivated by the victim’s sexual orientation, gender identity, race, disability, gender or other protected traits.

Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams has said Utah’s current hate crimes law has no protections for gay or transgender residents and little protections for other groups.

Utah is one of 15 states with hate crime laws that lack protections for sexual orientation and identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

St. George Republican Sen. Steve Urquhart sponsored the measure. He also sponsored Utah’s landmark LGBT anti-discrimination bill last year that passed after being endorsed by the Salt Lake City-based Mormon church.

Utah proposal would protect LGBTQ people from hate crimes – LGBTQ Nation

UPDATED::South Dakota Bill on Transgender Students’ Bathroom Access Draws Ire - The New York Times

The veto over-ride was unsuccessful, South Dakota House fails to override transgender bill veto 

UPDATE:: South Dakota governor vetoes law on transgender bathrooms

South Dakota‘s governor vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have made the state the first in the U.S. to approve a law requiring transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their sex at birth.

Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who initially reacted positively to the proposal but said he needed to research the issue, rejected the bill after the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Campaign insisted it was discriminatory.

In his veto message, Daugaard said the bill “does not address any pressing issue” and that such decisions were best left to local school officials. He also noted that signing the bill could create costly liability issues for schools and the state. The ACLU had promised to encourage legal action if the bill became law.
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Daugaard initially offered a positive reaction to South Dakota‘s proposal, but said he wanted to listen to testimony before making a decision. Last week, he met with three transgender individuals and heard their personal stories; before the meeting, the governor said he had never knowingly met a transgender person.

Opponents said the legislation an attack on vulnerable transgender students that would further marginalize them at school. They also criticized comments made by some lawmakers, including Republican Sen. David Omdahl.

“I’m sorry if you’re so twisted you don’t know who you are,” Omdahl said when asked about the bill last month.

“I’m telling you right now, it’s about protecting the kids, and I don’t even understand where our society is these days.”

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Proponents of the legislation say it would help protect children and ensure everyone’s privacy, but its passage has inserted South Dakota into the center of a national debate about transgender rights and access to restrooms and locker rooms.

It is among a number of bills addressing the rights of transgender people that are being pushed by conservative legislators in this state and others. Another South Dakota bill, which was shelved this week, would have required public agencies to accept only information on birth certificates, effectively preventing legal recognition of sex changes.

Mr. Lewis said the bathroom legislation, which was passed by the South Dakota Legislature last week, “creates more stigma,” increases the risk of bullying and sends a message to transgender students: “You’re so different, in a bad way, that you need your own bathroom, your own locker room, your own shower situation.”

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The South Dakota legislation would seem to put the state in conflict with the Obama administration’s interpretation of the federal Title IX law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal funds. Mr. Lewis said last week that he would probably continue to use the men’s restroom at school even if Mr. Daugaard signed the bill. Even supporters of the legislation acknowledge that a school district will probably be sued if it becomes law.

South Dakota Bill on Transgender Students’ Bathroom Access Draws Ire - The New York Times

Charlotte passes LGBTQ public accommodations bill despite threat from Governor – LGBTQ Nation

North Carolina‘s largest city has passed a law allowing transgender people to choose public bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity, which the governor had called a threat to public safety and warned that the General Assembly may step in.

The Charlotte City Council voted 7-4 Monday to expand protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, making it the latest frontier in a national debate on how businesses treat gay, lesbian and transgender customers. One of the revisions to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance allows people to choose restrooms corresponding to the gender with which they identify.

“I’m pleased that Charlotte has sent a signal that we will treat people with dignity and respect, even when we disagree,” Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts said moments after the vote.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory — a former mayor of Charlotte, one of the 20 largest cities in the U.S. according to census figures — said in an email Sunday that changing the policy on restrooms could “create major public safety issues.”

Charlotte passes LGBTQ public accommodations bill despite threat from Governor – LGBTQ Nation

See also:   McCrory: If Charlotte approves LGBT protections, ‘immediate’ state response likely

Woman found dead in bathtub at South Side motel | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KABB

The body of a woman was found at a motel on the South Side of San Antonio early Friday morning.

Police responded to the scene at the EL Mio Motel on the 3500 Block of Roosevelt Avenue around 9:00 a.m.

Woman found dead in bathtub at South Side motel | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KABB

Locked in Prison, Ky Peterson Gets Some Good News | Advocate.com

After nearly five years jailed with women, Ky Peterson is now one step closer to being recognized as the man he is — even while he remains incarcerated in Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, Ga.

Peterson — the black trans man at the center of a groundbreaking case involving violence, gender identity, and the dysfunctional prison system — recieved his first dose of hormone therapy on February 26, the 25-year-old tells The Advocate.

"This has been a long hard journey, and now I can see the difference between speaking up, rather than staying silent and never getting anything done," Peterson says via email. "But I had great people encouraging me to never give up along the way."

Three days after this report's initial publication, Peterson recieved his first injection of testosterone, or "T," as it's known colloquially. In an email he sent to his girlfriend on Friday after his first shot, Peterson said he was feeling "pretty good so far."

He is among the first transgender inmates to receive transition-related care while incarcerated in Georgia, after the Department of Corrections updated its policy last April following a federal lawsuit filed by black trans woman Ashley Diamond. (Diamond settled her suit for an undisclosed amount earlier this month.)

Locked in Prison, Ky Peterson Gets Some Good News | Advocate.com

Making Sense Out of the Murders of Trans Men | Advocate.com

What — if anything — can these four murders tell us about fatal violence against trans men? What can we observe from these most recent murders? And what can we speculate about the responses to these cases?

Very little is currently known about violence against trans men as a whole; murder, as a subset of this topic, is even more shrouded in mystery. How often are trans men murdered worldwide? Are any of these cases hate crimes? What are the risk factors? Are there more murders we aren’t hearing about? How can we prevent more deaths?

While it’s impossible to draw conclusions from these four cases — which are almost certainly only a fraction of the total murders committed — that should not stop anti-violence advocates from considering the issue. The safest place to start is by simply making open-ended observations about what we do know and indicating paths for further inquiry. From that space, we can hopefully initiate a conversation that others will carry forward, informed by their own experiences and expertise. 
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Any mention of “fatal violence against trans men” in most circles — trans or cisgender (nontrans) alike — is likely to conjure up one single name: Brandon Teena. The white, rural 21-year-old trans man was raped and murdered in Humboldt, Neb., in 1993, and his tragic death was immortalized in the acclaimed 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry.

For better or for worse, the popular culture status of Teena’s story has lent it a singular dominance, effectively representing the “face” of American trans male murder victims ever since. Its seeming rarity has, over time, led some LGBT activists to conclude that Teena’s case was an anomaly, a fluke, rather than a single incident that could just as easily be part of a much broader — if unpublicized — incidence of sexual assault and physical violence against trans men.

It must be noted that — for a number of reasons — the equally brutal murder of black trans man Evon Young a decade later did not garner the attention that Teena’s murder did. As Black Lives Matter activists have been consistently pointing out, America’s institutional disregard for the lives of black men is well documented. It manifests in myriad ways, including a quicker slackening of media coverage of black men’s murders (if there is coverage at all) and an astronomical incarceration rate. This suffocating silence grows exponentially more potent when expanded to include LGB (and especially) trans people of color.

Making Sense Out of the Murders of Trans Men | Advocate.com

UPDATED::Arizona Trans Man Shot and Killed By Police in His Own Home | Advocate.com

UPDATE::   Demonstrators take to the streets in protest for transgender man killed by police  

On Thursday night, demonstrators took to the Tucson streets in protest against police and police brutality in the wake of the killing of a transgender man at the hands of Mesa, Arizona police.

Last week, Kayden Clarke, 24, was shot and killed by police officers in his home when they were called in response to a possible suicidal woman, according to CNN. Clarke was in the process of transitioning from female to male and was also diagnosed with Asperger's and was believed to possibly have other mental health issues.

The night of his death, Clarke was shot and killed after lunging within 10 ft. of police. Both officers fired their weapons and killed Clarke, according to CNN reports.

Tonight, protesters took to the Ronstadt Transit Center on Congress Street to voice disapproval of the killing and police brutality. Many at the demonstration had hopes to send a message of acceptance of the transgender community and a society without law enforcement. 

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You may remember Clarke for, "headlines last year when he was featured on Huffington Post in a viral video with his service dog Samson. Clarke trained Samson to help him when he was suffering from the symptoms of Asperger syndrome. Clarke called these symptoms “melt-downs” and they involved attempts to harm himself by, for example, banging his head on walls or hitting himself."

I am quite sure more will be added to this saga as time goes on.

Two as yet unnamed Arizona police officers shot to death a 24-year-old transgender man in his own home on Thursday, according to a report from ABC 15 Arizona.

Kayden Clarke of Mesa, Arizona, is now the second trans person to have been killed this year. Monica Loera was the first.


Even after discovering that Clarke is a trans man, local news accounts still repeatedly misgender Clarke, identifying him as a “woman,” using his former female name, and referring to him with female pronouns.

Clarke suffered from Asperger syndrome, a form of autism in which otherwise intelligent people may lack social skills and suffer from a range of atypical behavior. According to videos on YouTube and posts on Facebook from friends that have since been deleted or marked private, Clarke also allegedly suffered a history of physical and sexual abuse as a child that left him with post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation.

Arizona Trans Man Shot and Killed By Police in His Own Home | Advocate.com

NYPD Looking for Hate-Crime Attacker of Transgender Woman | Advocate.com

Police in New York City are looking for a woman in a pink scarf who attacked a transgender woman in a packed subway car.

Jennifer Louise Lopez, 37, tells The Advocate that on January 30, she was punched in the face and required emergency surgery on her eye following the attack. Lopez, who is the executive director of Everything Transgender in NYC, was riding the uptown D train to 125th Street when a woman confronted her.


"I simply sat down on a subway seat, and she obviously didn't like it," Lopez tells The Advocate. "I had my back to her. She was taking up half the seat, sitting by the window. Her first words to me were 'Get the fuck up!' in a very aggressive manner." Lopez responded, and that's when the woman stood up, loudly questioned her gender identity, and punched her in the face, according to New York City TV station WNBC.

In an interview with New York City cable station NY1 News, Lopez described the attack: "She spun around and said 'Oh, you're a man', as soon as she said that she took a swing at me."

NYPD Looking for Hate-Crime Attacker of Transgender Woman | Advocate.com

Transgender Texas prison inmates can start hormone therapy – LGBTQ Nation

Seriously. "Advocates welcomed the policy change, but raised concerns that the TDCJ process is onerous enough that transgender inmates could have to wait months, even years, to receive treatment."

I'm going to be a class-A asshole.  They are in fucking prison and I have a very harsh view on what prison  should be like.  It ain't like what it is, although I do advocate for job training and education (and no, I don't believe in the death penalty except in extreme, rare cases.)

My gut reaction aside, I am not transgender and I have no clue as to what these inmates face or faced prior to incarceration.  If this is as "conservative" a process as the article states, I am not sure as to what issues may be faced.  Such a learning curve.

A change in Texas prison system policy means transgender inmates who hadn’t started hormone therapy before incarceration can do so behind bars if they go through a thorough process to confirm the diagnosis.

Previously, Texas Department of Criminal Justice policy said only transgender inmates who were already taking hormones when they entered the system could continue to do so, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday.

TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark played down the change, saying Texas’ policy remained among the most conservative in the nation.

“Offenders are prescribed hormone therapy only after going through a rigorous process that includes being reviewed by a gender dysphoria specialist, an endocrinologist, and having an affirmative diagnosis,” Clark said. “Only then would it be considered medically necessary and require the minimum level of treatment which is hormone therapy.”

Transgender Texas prison inmates can start hormone therapy – LGBTQ Nation

LISTEN: Chelsea Manning in Her Own Words | Advocate.com

I will admit I have difficulty with this, not because Manning is trans-gendered, but why she is behind bars.  I have some preconceived ideas that I still may have to work through.  The fact that she was convicted of leaking government documents being one of them.

That aside,,,

For the first time, Chelsea Manning is telling her story in her own words, in a podcast. There’s only one catch: It’s not with her own voice.

Restrictions imposed by the military prison where Manning is serving a 35-year sentence for leaking government documents prevent her from making any recording from behind bars, including both video, audio, or even still photographs.


Fight for the Future campaign director Evan Greer tells The Advocate she worked with Amnesty International to have trans actress Michelle Hendley of Boy Meets Girl fame record Manning’s words.

The convicted Army intelligence officer announced the podcast via Twitter, which like everything else involving Manning is done outside the prison using words that she dictates. 

LISTEN: Chelsea Manning in Her Own Words | Advocate.com

Texas Trans Woman Becomes Grim Statistic | Advocate.com

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2016/01/first-trans-murder-of-2016-rip-monica.html

The Austin Police Department arrested and charged 29-year-old JonCasey Rowell for the murder and Rowell is currently being detained on a $250,000 bond, according to KXAN TV, a local NBC news affiliate.

KXAN also reports that Loera’s roommate told police that Rowell “kept knocking on the door and Loera said ‘he was going to get rid of him because he didn’t want to mess with him.’ When the victim went to to open the door, the roommate said he heard a sound like a firecracker and Loera said, ‘he shot me.’”

After the shooting, Loera was taken to the University Medical Center Brackenridge hospital “where she was pronounced dead from her injuries and the Travis County Medical Examiner ruled Loera's death a homicide” noted Monica Roberts of TransGriot. Roberts is a Houston trans journalist who was one of the first people to report on the case in a trans-affirming manner.

 

Texas Trans Woman Becomes Grim Statistic | Advocate.com

West Covina man convicted in beating death of transgender woman in Baldwin Park

 

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2016/01/murderer-of-melony-smith-convicted.html

A jury Friday convicted a West Covina man of the murder of a 26-year-old transgender woman who was ound beaten to death in a Baldwin Park motel in 2013.

A Pomona Superior Court Jury found Stephen Gonzales, 30, guilty of the first-degree murder of the victim known to loved ones as Melony Smith. She was listed by coroner’s officials under birth name, Vanhxay Inthichack.

Smith’s body was found about 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 9, 2013, inside her room at a motel in the 13900 block of Francisquito Avenue in Baldwin Park, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s and coroner officials.

West Covina man convicted in beating death of transgender woman in Baldwin Park

Transgender woman claims she was harassed at Times Square restaurant; inaction from management – LGBTQ Nation

It boils down to one thing at the moment, why would she lie?

A transgender woman says she was groped by a stranger and called homophobic and transphobic slurs by a group of friends at Dallas BBQ in Times Square, and that management didn’t go far enough to ensure her safety.

Andre St. Clair is a self-described artist and advocate living in New York City, where she works in event management and fundraising for LGBTQ organizations.

On Saturday night, January 16, she dined at Dallas BBQ Times Square with friends. As she walked through the restaurant to meet other friends she spotted at the location, she says she was grabbed aggressively by a stranger,,,

Transgender woman claims she was harassed at Times Square restaurant; inaction from management – LGBTQ Nation

Fargo hospital says transgender lawsuit should be dismissed – LGBTQ Nation

Attorneys for a Fargo hospital say a lawsuit brought by a transgender employee alleging discrimination in the workplace has no merit and should be dismissed.

Faye Seidler was born as a male and identifies herself as a female. Seidler says in a federal suit that Sanford Medical Center violated her civil rights. She is seeking unspecified damages and an order to stop the hospital from discriminating against employees who have undergone or are undergoing a gender transition.

Seidler says managers did not treat her fairly and she was wrongly denied access to the women’s locker rooms.

Fargo hospital says transgender lawsuit should be dismissed – LGBTQ Nation

UPDATED::Murderer of Mississippi Trans Teen Mercedes Williamson May Face Hate Crime Charges | Advocate.com

UPDATE::  Mississippi man indicted in transgender teen's bludgeoning death with hammer

A documented member of the Latin Kings street gang used a hammer to beat to death a transgender teen who once considered him a boyfriend, officials say.

A George County grand jury indicted Joshua "Josh" Vallum on a charge of murder in the killing of Mercedes Williamson, a 17-year-old Theodore, Ala., resident whose birth name was Michael Christopher Wilkins. At the time of her death, Williamson was an aspiring cosmetologist living in a $50-a-week apartment.
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"This investigation is still ongoing and I cannot comment on what additional charges, if any, will arise out of that," he said.

Investigators have, however, been looking into whether the killing was gang-related, drug-related or a hate crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice has been involved in the investigation, which the George County Sheriff's Department is heading up.

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2016/01/josh-vallum-charged-in-mercedes.html

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George County Sheriff Department Capt. Ben Brown told the Sun Herald Tuesday that he and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force have been giving the trans teen's death "a thorough investigation to bring justice to the victim's family."

"We are trying to determine whether [the killing] is drug-related, gang-related or a hate crime," he said. "These cases take time to work, and we are working on it as diligently as we can." Brown identified Williamson by her male birth name and did not mention that she was transgender, notes the newspaper.

Once the investigation into her death has concluded, prosecutors will present evidence to a Mississippi grand jury, which will then decide whether to indict Vallum. District Attorney Tony Lawrence told the Herald that the grand jury is able to indict under the state's hate-crime statute. However, the statute does not refer to crimes committed against perceived gender identity, but rather "gender" — meaning the grand jury would have to interpret this provision to include a victim's transgender status.

Vallum's motives still remain unclear, but the Herald has uncovered documentation indicating that he is a member of the Latin Kings street gang, as well as the fact that he lived near where Williamson shared a one-bedroom camper with 41-year-old roommate Jeanie Miller.

Murderer of Mississippi Trans Teen Mercedes Williamson May Face Hate Crime Charges | Advocate.com