Lateisha Green (22) was shot and killed outside a house party, allegedly motivated by anti-LGBT bias and her killers belief that Lateisha was gay.

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Lateisha Green (22) was shot and killed outside a house party, allegedly motivated by anti-LGBT bias and her killers belief that Lateisha was gay.

Filed Under: Shot

Published: Nov 06, 2009 @ 11:57 AM

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Lateisha Green (22)

Date: Jul 13, 2009
Cause of Death: Shot
Location: Syracuse, New York
URL: go to their myspace

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On July 13, 2009, the trial for the murder of Lateisha Green - a 22-year-old African American transgender woman - will begin in Syracuse, New York. Due to this landmark case's complexities and its significance for LGBT people, it is of utmost importance that media coverage of Lateisha's tragic death be inclusive, accurate, and respectful of a community that is too often targeted for harassment and violence.

On November 14, 2008, Lateisha "Teish" Green was shot and killed outside a house party in Syracuse, New York. The accused shooter, Dwight R. DeLee, was allegedly motivated by anti-LGBT bias and his belief that Lateisha was gay. The Onondaga County District Attorney has charged DeLee with second degree murder as a hate crime.

That Lateisha was, in fact, transgender highlights the unique nature of this prosecution, as well as the need for reform of New York State and federal hate crime laws. New York State law currently classifies it as a hate crime for an individual to target and attack a victim because of the victim's actual or perceived sexual orientation. While Lateisha was a transgender woman, Lateisha's murder is a hate crime because her attacker perceived her to be gay and targeted her for violence because of that perception. Neither New York State nor federal hate crime laws include gender identity or gender expression as protected hate crime categories. Indeed, federal law includes neither gender identity and expression nor sexual orientation as hate crime categories.

According to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, murders of LGBT people in 2008 increased 28% from the previous year. More than 2,400 people reported being victims of hate violence involving incidents motivated by anti-LGBT bias. 12% of these reports on hate violence involved incidents motivated by anti-transgender bias. Nearly 300 transgender people filed reports of violence against them during the reporting period. On average, a transgender person is murdered once a month in the United States, based upon information collected by Remembering Our Dead and Transgender Day of Remembrance.

By looking back on Lateisha Green's death and the countless other incidents of tragic violence that occur every year due to anti-LGBT bias, the media can play a vital role in determining future community and law enforcement response to hate-motivated attacks. Hate crime legislation that would explicitly protect transgender people from violence is currently pending in New York and at the federal level. In New York, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (S.2406), which has passed the State Assembly and is awaiting Senate action, would make it a hate crime for an individual to attack another because of the victim's gender identity or expression. At the federal level, the Matthew Shepard Act (S.909), which would expand existing federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by gender identity or sexual orientation (as well as gender and disability), was passed by the House of Representatives on April 29, 2009, by a vote of 249 - 175. On June 25, 2009, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Matthew Shepard Act. The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the Senate. The Obama administration has listed the passing of the Matthew Shepard Act in its goals for civil rights during the President's first term.

Related Article(s): The Lateisha Green Murder: Violence Against Transgender People Resource Kit Facebook

5 responses to this article...

	libraryk on Nov 07, 2009 at 3:01 PM http://mydeathspace.com/article/2009/11/06/Lateisha_Green_%2822%29_was_shot_and_killed_outside_a_house_party,_allegedly_motivated_by_anti_LGBT_bias_and_her_killers_belief_that_Lateisha_was_gay_ The reason why :stupid: http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/11/syracuse_man_was_killed_for_be.html CENTRAL NY REAL-TIME NEWS Breaking Local News from Syracuse & Central New York Syracuse man was killed for being gay, police say By Matt Michael November 16, 2008, 12:31PM SYRACUSE, NY - Dwight R. DeLee shot and killed Moses "Teish" Cannon with a .22-caliber rifle Friday night because he didn't like that Cannon was openly gay, Syracuse police said. Cannon, 22, and his brother, Mark Cannon, 18, both of 404 Arthur St., were shot as they sat in a car parked in front of 411 Seymour St., where they had been invited to a party. The bullet grazed the left arm of Mark Cannon, who was in the driver's seat, and hit Moses Cannon in the chest, police said. 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 his brother, for the sole reason he didn't care for the sexual preference of our victim. Isn't that sad? Isn't that a sad situation that that's the sole reason why? "I talk to you about this atmosphere of violence and that certain individuals believe that violence is the answer no matter what, and here's just another example," Miguel said. Cannon's family said his death should be treated as a hate crime. Miguel said it's up to the District Attorney's office to decide if it's a hate crime. Police started searching for DeLee after interviewing witnesses. He was located at 2 a.m. Sunday at a residence in Liverpool, police said. Miguel said there's no indication the Cannons were lured to the party so they could be assaulted. "The person who called (to invite them to the party) is a friend," Miguel said. AT least he got 25 years http://planetransgender.blogspot.com/2009/08/dwight-r-delee-receives-max-of-25-years.html Tuesday, August 18, 2009 Dwight R. DeLee receives max of 25 years for shooting death of Lateisha Green TLDEF Statement on Sentencing in Lateisha Green Trial "NEW YORK, NY - The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) today welcomed Judge William Walsh's sentencing of convicted killer Dwight R. DeLee to the maximum term of 25 years in prison in connection with the shooting death of Lateisha Green. Green, a 22-year-old African American transgender woman was shot and killed by DeLee on Nov. 14, 2008 in Syracuse, NY. On July 17, a 12-member jury found 20-year-old DeLee guilty of manslaughter in the first degree as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon. DeLee's conviction for committing a hate crime is the first involving the death of a transgender person in New York State. It is only the second such conviction in United States history. In addition to the sentence for manslaughter, DeLee was sentenced to a concurrent term of 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison on the weapon possession conviction." "Today, a measure of justice has been delivered for Lateisha Green and her family with the imposition of the maximum sentence for this crime," said TLDEF Executive Director and attorney Michael Silverman. "While nothing can make up for the loss Lateisha's family has suffered, this sentence helps to bring some closure to Lateisha's family. The sentence sends a clear message that violence targeted at transgender people will be heavily penalized." "Silverman has been working with the family since Lateisha's death in November. He was on the ground in Syracuse throughout the trial working closely with Lateisha's family. TLDEF collaborated with its sister organizations, including the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Rainbow Alliance of Central New York." "Transgender Americans continue to face a serious risk of violence and discrimination. African American transgender women are at particularly high risk," added Silverman. "Neither New York State law nor federal law includes gender identity or expression as hate crime categories and that sends a dangerous message that it is acceptable to leave part of our community vulnerable to hateful acts of violence simply because of who they are. We call upon our state and federal lawmakers to ensure adoption of transgender-inclusive legislation that will protect everyone regardless of their gender identity and gender expression." Following the sentencing, Lateisha Green's family released this statement: "Todays sentencing sends a clear message that violence motivated by anti-transgender bias is unacceptable and wrong. It affects everyone in a community and it has left many hurt and distraught. We can only hope that Teishs story will prevent any more loss of life simply because someone is different." "It has been a little over nine months since Teish was taken away from us. On November 14, 2008, Dwight DeLee aimed a rifle and shot Teish. All it took was one bullet to pierce her heart. That one bullet ended Teishs life and all of the possibilities that could have been a part of her future." "That one bullet took away our brave and beloved family member and friend. But it also pierced our hearts and left us all feeling fearful, sad and angry. All of our hopes and dreams that we had for Teish were taken away from us simply because Teish was transgender. One bullet shattered all of our lives." "Every possibility for Teish slipped away when Dwight DeLee shot and killed her. But todays sentencing by the judge has left us to believe that new possibilities have replaced old ones. A possibility to begin a conversation for reconciliation and understanding in Syracuse. A possibility to pass state and federal laws that would protect everyone from this kind of violence. A possibility to share Teishs story so that nobody will ever have to know the feeling of losing a child because of that child's gender identity." "We want to thank everyone who supported our family during this difficult process and helped us to share Teishs story. No legal proceeding can provide full closure for us. But we know that closure will come into our hearts as we continue to share this story with the world. We can only hope that more conversations about Teish and her life will prevent another bullet from taking another life. Though Teish left us 9 months ago, she has given us all the possibility to work towards a better tomorrow. Thank you."

	sarabei on Nov 07, 2009 at 3:08 PM :cry: Why can't people just let each other live in peace??

	SuzySteamboat on Nov 12, 2009 at 11:25 AM What I can't understand is how someone's mere existance can put another person into such a state of rage that that person is motivated to KILL them. None of it has ever made any sense to me but it happens often enough that there must be SOME sort of "sense" to it. Hating someone for being gay makes about as much sense as hating someone for having green eyes, but even going with that... how is that powerful enough to motivate someone to murder? I've wanted to kill a few people who've pissed me off badly enough in my past, but all of them did something to REALLY PISS ME OFF. A person happening to be gay doesn't nearly begin to approach that threshold, but what do I know... I'm not homophobic. Fuckin ridiculous.

	partyguy on Nov 12, 2009 at 1:05 PM I can see where the hatred comes from. They got me on a internet dating site right now and there is an obvious transgendered person masquerading as a female and putting stuff on their profile pretending to just be a normal hetero woman. But clearly he/she/it is not and is being misleading. And I can't imagine many straight men who are looking for straight women are going to want to have anything to do with that person. When I see their profile it does anger me. Though not enough to murder.

	delta9 on Nov 12, 2009 at 1:13 PM I can see where the hatred comes from. They got me on a internet dating site right now and there is an obvious transgendered person masquerading as a female and putting stuff on their profile pretending to just be a normal hetero woman. But clearly he/she/it is not and is being misleading. And I can't imagine many straight men who are looking for straight women are going to want to have anything to do with that person. When I see their profile it does anger me. Though not enough to murder. why would that anger you? :lol: just let it go.