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Monday, November 17, 2008
Update: The weekend victim of a brazen murder in Syracuse, N.Y., was transgendered, family and friends now tell area media outlets.
Police originally had identified the victim as Moses Cannon, 20, and gay. Family members, however, now say Cannon went by the name Latiesha Green and was in the process of transitioning.
Another week, another hate crime.
Lateisha Green, 22, of Syracuse, New York was shot at 8:45 p.m. on Friday as she sat in a parked car with her brother Mark Cannon, 18, and a third person when gunman Dwight R. DeLee fired a .22 caliber rifle into her chest killing the victim. The bullet only grazed the left arm of Mark Cannon, who was in the driver's seat.
Police have charged DeLee, 20, of 420 Gifford St., with second-degree murder. DeLee went into the home at 411 Seymour St. to get the rifle after guests at the party started "making profane and vulgar comments in regards to the sexual preference of our two victims," police Chief Gary Miguel said.
"There was no previous argument between these individuals, there was no previous fight, there was no bad blood," Miguel said. "Our suspect took a rifle and shot and killed this person, also wounding her brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim.
Lateisha Green was killed, his mother said, because she was gay. "This death was senseless, and I'm very angry," Roxanne Green said.
Green said she received a phone call at 5:30 a.m. Saturday from a woman who claimed to know the circumstances of the killing. The caller told Green that her daughter was shot because the shooter objected to her sexual orientation.
Readers of the local paper The Post Standard are weighing in on this tragedy online, many of whom profess to know both the victim and gunman personally. According to some, the DeLee family has an extensive criminal history and this is not the gunman's first time in trouble with the law. One quick search on the NY Department of Corrections website supports these claims.
This comment from The Post Standard online user "Samiham" clearly illustrates the need for education and tolerance regarding gender-variant/transgender youth.
"He was killed because he was gay. I don't condone that so don't take what I am going to say in the wrong way.From the picture in the paper, he wasn't just openly gay, he was a flamer. Don't get mad at me for saying this.
My point is that he attracted attention to himself by the way he dressed. Much like some girls do by dressing like sluts. Or the person who walks out of the bank counting his stack of money and gets robbed. I am not saying they were wrong for doing that or deserved what they got. Definitely not.
What I am saying is that we all need to take more care in how we carry ourselves these days. We are surrounded by morons who won't think twice about stealing your money, raping you or taking your life."
Thanks Steven & Bernie
10 Comments:
I hate that our society makes this sort of thing possible because of its ugly prejudices and hatred. Why is it so hard to let people live their lives? My condolences to his family and pray he may rest in peace.
November 17, 2008 10:04 AM
I mean really..."he was dressed like that" is a valid claim for killing someone? I've always believed that if you didn't have something on the inside troubling you...u wouldn't harm others. It's just like bullying all the suspected gay kids in school because you don't want anyone to find out about you. This sickens me. The same story over and over. My heart goes out to the family and his friends. What is it gonna take? How many more lives have to be lost?
November 17, 2008 10:52 AM
Damn Duanna Johnson in Memphis now this..crazy and what is going on?!?! My question is how were the gunmen and the guy who was killed acquainted? THE IGNORANCE...FROM THE PERSON WHO COMMENTED ABOUT THE VICTIM. My professor discussed this in our African-American Literature class told us about how people want to blame victims such as those who are raped. He explained that a person would say, "Well if she didn't wear that tight dress she wouldn't have gotten raped!" ARE YOU REALLY THAT NAIVE AND SELFISH TO BELIEVE THAT? That just infuriates me that someone would say that.
WHO ARE U TO BLAME THE VICTIM? My question would be this...if you had ANY money on U, would you be mad if they rob u or would u just say "Oh well I shouldnt have been carrying the money" WHY ARE WE HATING EACH OTHER? My condolences to the family and for the person who commented about it...STOP THE BULL FORREAL. his comments are just inciting more hatred and prejudice.
November 17, 2008 12:13 PM
I hate that shit like this happen. Moreover I hate that society feels that they have a right to do as they please when it comes gay people. Ignorance is a SERIOUS thing...
November 17, 2008 6:29 PM
Teisha identified as a woman.
It is fucking disrespectful and appropriating of y'all to call HER a gay man.
Transgender Day Of Remembrance is coming up and dozens of names have already been added to the list. Duanna Johnson, Ms. Cannon, Aimee Wilcoxson, have all been killed this month alone. And whats more, I just heard from a friend that another woman was murdered in Turkey for being a trans* woman.
The very least y'all could do is to call these women by their names and use the correct pronouns instead of appropriating their deaths and pretending they are gay men!
November 17, 2008 7:02 PM
Wait...I thought Teish was a transwoman, as that is what she and her family identified her as. Why is everyone calling her a "he"?
November 17, 2008 10:17 PM
To Drakyn and the anonymous commenter who are all up in arms about the me referring to Moses "Teish" Cannon as a man. I can only speak for myself; I never had the opportunity to meet Teish so I was unaware that she identified as a transgender female. You're obviously not familiar with my blog or my stance on transgender issues becuase if you were then you would know that I wouldn't have a problem using the correct pronoun.
This story has trickled down to most gay bloggers from the initial story from The Post Standard in Syracuse. So if you want to direct your anger towards someone then it needs to be directed towards The Post.
Maybe you expected me to assume she was transgender from looking at the tiny picture posted online? But you know what happens when people assume, don't you?
Darian
November 18, 2008 9:44 AM
I know folks on this site are going to get upset,but I got to say this.
If you live in a conservative city like Syracuse, you should be a little more conservative. I know that everyone should live his or her life, but you have to take your surrondings into consideration. Black gays move to cities like Atlanta and Washington,DC from places like Syracuse so that they could be themselves.
If you live in backwards cities like Syracuse and Rochester,Hartord,Connecticut or Springfield,Mass, you should keep a low profile. Thats just the way that it is.
November 18, 2008 10:51 AM
Here is another area, that there must be some kind of dialogue that must be started about transgender people within the walls of the black gay and lesbian communities. It seems that then we have to go and start some kind of dialogue within the black communities because there are too many senseless acts taken place against many of these women and men. Why you may ask because no one seems to understand where these beautiful creatures are coming from. There is a sad but true irony and reality about this perfect world we are living in and that is when someone can't put you in a box, or figure you out completely and put a label on you, this is when you become a huge threat.
I grew up in a small city (Reading, PA) and I remember the first transexual, I ever met was pre-op. I have to say that she was all-around fabulous and just drop dead goregous. If she would have never said a word about not being transgender than no one would have known. She honestly was Super Model material. It seems that she had a hard time on her job, which before she transitioned she was there for 4 years with no incidents. It seems because of her being pre-op there wasn't a bathroom that was 'legally suitable' for her to use. Lets just say she had the top and all it's fabulousness but the bottom was still all man. She was working at a popular insurance firm and was now subject of being let go because of a small thing between her legs. She ended up taken a leave and started a consignment shop, which was popular for several years.
I live fairly close to Philadelphia and I see within the gay community there that there is a huge number of trans men and women living and working there. The sad reality is many of these trans women and men are being exploited by others and mainly by themselves because they can't get work because of the whole 'trans' thing. Yep, they are on the stroll attempting to engage in the oldest profession on the planet.
One question that I asked my trans friend was "Why would you change your gender?" She explained in full detail that she was tired of pretending to be gay, when she didn't feel gay but felt more female than male. I was about 16 at the time and I got it because I have always been a very feminine male and I know that I get some flack from time to time for being the way that I am, so I know a male that feels that he is a woman trapped in a male's body, has to have it tough.
When I was younger and trying to get through the growing years, the entire thought of a sex-change ran through my mind, from time to time. I watched the legendary documentary 'Paris is Burning' and was inspired and came to the realization, that life has to come with some complications in order to be meaningful. would be easier, I don't want to say that being a feminine boy wasn't easy, especially at 6'1". With age, experience and a bit of time wrapped up, I learned to appreciate all aspects of my manhood. I learned to deal with the simple fact that I'm a gentle, sweet and a real tender guy. That doesn't mean anything to anyone but me and I have truly learned that it is a good thing being myself and not being ashamed of who and what I am.
For all the transwomen and men, may God bless them with their future and pray that they make it without any complications. For the transpersons that are senseless beating up and even killed, may God bless their beautiful souls.
Teisha was probably a real fabulous gal and was just trying to be her 'true' self, it sad that she had to be killed in order for anyone to talk about the transgender community and it's fears, worries, etc.
November 23, 2008 8:40 PM
You know it really gets under my skin when people make comments like, well she dressed this way or she looked like that, that doesn't give you the right to take someone's life. If this world was filled with people and they all looked the same and acted the same then what would we do. If a person is gay or straight no one has the right to take there life. To the family i will keep you all in my prayers be blessed
July 10, 2011 1:05 AM
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