Since November 2008, at least eight transgender people have been murdered in the Turkish cities of Ankara, Istanbul, and Antalya. From The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC):
"The most recent killing was of a transgender woman called Aycan Yener on Feburary 16, 2010, in the Fatih area of Istanbul. Yener, whose legal given name was Fevzi, was killed in her apartment. Her throat was slit, and she was stabbed 17 times. Assailants also stabbed her roommate, Seyhan [Ozmemis], 32, who survived. According to Turkish media, witnesses reportedly observed three people fleeing the scene, but no one has been arrested.
On February 8, Derya Y., a 35-year old transgender woman, was killed in her home in the [Altindag] district of Antalya. Police found Derya Y. in her bedroom with her throat cut and multiple knife stab wounds to her face and body."
These targeted killings have become part of a broader pattern of ongoing violence and hate against the Turkish LGBT community. On 28 January, Turkish police reportedly found 56-year old Sinasi Halimoglu, who had arranged a date with another man, stabbed to death in his own home. The organization Pembe Hayat (Pink Life), the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe), the IGLHRC, and Human Rights Watch have jointly sent a letter to the Turkish government condemning the recent attacks. No laws exist in Turkey that protect LGBT people from discrimination in employment, education, housing, health care, public accommodations, or credit. Without this legislative protection, the Turkish community as a whole will continue to be victim to murderers who, more often than not, believe they are doing a service to society by killing our Turkish brothers and sisters.
At the very least, voice your anger, folks. It has been said that one personal letter of protest represents the opinions of approximately 10,000 citizens. Imagine the difference that you can make...
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Terry Derrick
Liz Carson
Sean Previl
Poppi Iceland
Darryl Ross
queerMama
Salon.com
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Transgenders murdered in the U.S. from 2007-2008 that were reported...all 16 of them.
■Brian McGlothin. Date of Death: December 23, 2007. Brian wore gender non-conforming clothing and lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. Brian was shot in the head by Antonio Williams, who is currently serving a six-year sentence. Very little information was released about Brian or the crime. Brian was 25 years old.
■Patricia Murphy. Date of Death: January 8, 2008. Patricia was a drag performer and an icon in Albuquerque’s LGBT community. She had won the title of Miss New Mexico Gay Rodeo Association in 2008. Patricia was working towards a nursing degree and was the caretaker to an elderly man. She was shot in the head multiple times by Dana Madsen, who was arrested for the murder. Sharon Hardin, who had known Patricia for 12 years, said: “She had a heart of gold.” Patricia was 39 years old.
■Stacy Brown. Date of Death: January 8, 2008. Stacy was a transgender woman living in Baltimore with her mother and sister. She was found shot to death and police have yet to gain any leads on her murder. Very little information was released on Stacy or the crime. She was 30 years old.
■Adolphus Simmons. Date of Death: January 21, 2008. Adolphus wore gender non-conforming clothing and was embraced as a dear friend by his neighbors in the North Carolina apartment building where he lived. Family and friends described Adolphus as “jovial” and “a jokester“. Adolphus had recently begun a career as a hairdresser. He was shot dead while taking the trash out by a 15-year-old male. Adolphus was only 18 years old.
■Ashley Sweeney. Date of Death: February 4, 2008. Ashley was a young transgender woman living in Detroit, Michigan. She died from a fatal shot to the head. Very little information is known about Ashley and the crime. The National Center for Transgender Equality accused the Detroit Police Department of mishandling the case, as the department did not release the pertinent information involved in the case. Her age is unknown.
■Sanesha Stewart. Date of Death: February 10, 2008. Sanesha was a transgender woman from the Bronx, New York. She was stabbed to death by Steve McMillan, who was arrested by police. There was a notable amount of defamatory and sensationalized coverage surrounding Sanesha’s death. She was 25 years old.
■Lawrence King. Date of Death: February 12, 2008. Lawrence was a 15-year-old student who wore gender non-conforming clothes. Lawrence was shot and killed by a classmate. The murder was the most high-profile hate crime case of 2008. For more on Lawrence, you can check back to this previous blog post.
■Simmie Williams. Date of Death: February 22, 2008. Simmie was a gender non-conforming 17-year old from Fort Lauderdale, Florida who was planning on getting a GED and going to culinary school. Simmie was shot and killed by two men.
■Lloyd Nixon. Date of Death: April 16, 2008. Very little is known about Lloyd, who was a 45-year old transgender person. Lloyd was beaten to death with a brick in West Palm Beach, Florida.
■Ebony Whitaker. Date of Death: July 1, 2008. Ebony was a transgender woman living in Memphis, Tennessee. She was found shot to death and the police have yet to arrest any suspects. Ebony was only 20 years old. Much of the coverage, of what little there was, was defamatory.
■Angie Zapata. Date of Death: July 17, 2008. Angie was a young transgender woman living in Greeley, Colorado. She was found murdered in her apartment with severe fractures in her skull, beaten to death. Police arrested Allen Andrade for the hate crime. Angie was only 18 years old. Coverage of the hate crime reached a national level, with articles in The New York Times and on the ABC News website.
■Jaylynn L. Namauu. Date of Death: July 17, 2008. Jaylynn was a 35-year old transgender woman living in Makiki Honolulu, Hawaii. She was stabbed to death by Joel Allen, who has been arrested by police. Local coverage of the case was alarmingly defamatory, calling the murder “not a hate crime.” GLAAD reached out to local reporters who promised to improve future coverage. Very little is known about Jaylynn.
■Ruby Molina. Date of Death: September 21, 2008. Ruby was a transgender woman living in Sacramento. Her body was pulled from the American River. Police originally called “no foul play” on the case, but later described situation as merely “suspicious.” No suspects have been found. Ruby was 22-years old.
■Aimee Wilcoxson. Date of Death: November 3, 2008. Aimee was a transgender woman living in Aurora, Colorado. She was found dead in her home. Police have yet to release details, but have stated that the signs lead to suicide, something that friends and family are not satisfied with. Aimee was described as “a woman who loved to laugh, loved Madonna and who advocated for other transgender woman who, like her, had been diagnosed with HIV.” She was 34 years old.
■Duanna Johnson. Date of Death: November 9, 2008. As we blogged about earlier this week, Duanna was fatally shot in Memphis Tennessee earlier this month. Duanna was a transgender woman who has suffered physical and verbal harassment by the Memphis Police following a faulty arrest. Duanna was planning on moving back to her hometown of Chicago. Police have yet to arrest any suspects. Duanna was 42 years old.
■Lateisha Green. Date of Death: November 14, 2008. Lateisha was a young transgender woman who was fatally shot last Friday in Syracuse, New York. Dwight DeLee was arrested for the hate crime and is being held without bail. Lateisha was only 22-years old.
All on U.S. soil..and how many unsolved? We have a big problem. Thank you for the post.xox
Heart breaking!!!!!!!!!!!!