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Legalized Murder

Sophie Lynne | Jun 6, 2022

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Many months, I struggle for idea for this column. After all, I’ve been doing it for over a decade, so it’s challenging to come up with original-ish ideas that I haven’t done before. That isn’t the case this month, as the topic is fairly obvious.

Transgender people can be legally murdered in THIRTY FIVE (35) states of the US.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Proof? It’s called the “trans-panic defense.” It goes like this “your honor, my client didn’t know the woman he picked up in the bar was actually a man.” (Transgender) “So my client was so repulsed that he stabbed the man 35 times.”

In other words, if he finds out you’re transgender, he can kill you in any way he chooses (usually in a blind rage) and get away with it — or be convicted of a lesser charge like, say, abuse of a corpse.

Doesn’t happen? On May 27, 2022, a Virginia Tech football player was acquitted of murdering a transgender woman he picked up on Tinder. In addition to being repulsed, he feared for his safety. From an article: “Etute [football player] said he punched Smith [transgender woman] five times and kicked him [misgendered] to gain time to escape the apartment… He compared Etute, an “elite college athlete,” to Smith, who weighed 153 pounds (just under 70 kilograms).” According to a sports website, Etute is 6’3” and 205 lbs. of muscle. “According to The Roanoke Times, medical examiner Dr. Amy Tharp testified that Smith had bleeding and swelling inside his brain, that most of the bones in his face were broken and multiple teeth had been knocked out. Forensic Detective Mike Czernicki testified that shoe impressions on Smith’s face were consistent with “at least two” blows.”

More: “It was determined during the investigation that Etute and Smith, who had been posing as a woman online, matched on Tinder and met at Smith’s apartment for a sexual encounter in April. After becoming suspicious of Smith, Etute returned to the apartment with two teammates to confront him on May 31.”

So, this huge guy felt threatened by a tiny girl when he had 2 other huge guys backing him up?

Don’t worry about Etute, though. Not only was he cleared of all charges, he’ll still be playing football somewhere this fall — he entered the transfer portal. Doesn’t matter that he killed someone — after all, he asserted his masculinity to prove he isn’t gay.

That’s called fragile masculinity in academic circles, folks.

Let’s add insult to injury — every news report dead-named and misgendered the victim. Here’s the kicker — Virginia is one of the states that supposedly banned the trans-panic defense.

Had enough of current events? The trans-panic defense works because transgender women aren’t seen as human — we’re “Other.” Throw in the hundreds of bills the GQP (Grand Qanon Party) are sailing through state legislatures and things in the U.S. are becoming VERY dangerous for you and me.

My roomie/bestie and I live in central Pennsylvania, in an oasis of reason surrounded by MAGA country. Pennsylvania is just fine with the trans-panic defense, thank you for asking. Neither of us go out much due to no money, but occasionally we need to venture out of the oasis into the area full of 45 flags and “Let’s go Brandon” bumper stickers. During those times, I’m genuinely scared. After all, anything could happen.

I’d say that you should contact your state representative about changing the laws if you live in one of the legalized murder states, but as long as a member of the GQP breathes free air, change won’t happen. There’s too much Hate. . .

. . .and a lot of it is directed at us.

Be well.