That’s all well and good, but why does the Memphis Police Department hire homophobes andanti-transgender people in the first place? Violence is violence, whether perpetrated by the citizenry or police officers. Beating on any unarmed, subdued citizen, regardless of sex or sexual orientation or any other distinction, is totally barbaric as well as totally unacceptable in this day and age.

Don’t they question their applicants about their feelings toward the LGBT community or, at the very least, offer ‘sensitivity training’ courses” to their law enforcement officers?

This is shades of the pre-Stonewall 1960s when bashing of queer people by street thugs and New York City ‘finest’ was a common occurrence. In those days, GLBT people had more to fear from the police than they did from the street thugs who were encouraged to bash gays and for that reason, often refused to report such an incident to the police, let they get “more of the same”.

GLBT bashing, is GLBT bashing, whether done by street trash or the police officers we hire at taxpayer expense to protect us from this sort of thing. Police Officers have a higher standard to live up to and if their personal hatreds and bigotries prevent them from administering their duties fairly and without prejudice, then they have no business being in law enforcement. Such police officers are nothing more than common criminals with a badge and a license to kill.

Personally, I think the Memphis Police Department has some explaining to do and at the very least, owes the LGBT community an apology. I would strongly urge the writing of letters of protest, as is my intention to do, from the LGBT community to the governor of Tennessee and other state representatives demanding a full investigation into this matter.

The Honorable Governor Phil Bredesen
Governor’s office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 31243-0001

Phone: 615-741-2001

Fax: 615-532-9711

Email: phil.bredesen@state.tn.us

A list of elected government officials may be found at:

http:doubleslashwww.tennesseeanytime.orgsslashgovernmentslashelected.html

As far as the D.A.’s Office involvement, we are waiting for the FBI’s investigation to be completed. The charges (prostitution and possession of drug paraphernalia) against the victim who was beaten in the video were dismissed by our office, as we did not find probable cause to prosecute.

Thank you,

Jennifer Donnals

Communications Director

Shelby County District Attorney’s Office

Memphis, Tennessee

and now this. I just can’t fucking believe. I’m livid.

I checked out the Commercial Appeal, Memphis’s paper, and found this (hopeful?) development:

http://www.commercialappeal.co.....e-me-sick/

We have such a long way to go.

And to respond to SeaFlood: ” Transgender people do have a lobby,
it is called GPac or gender pac. Although, GenderPac supports freedom of gender expression for all, gay , lesbian, transgender, genderqueer, intersex, bisexual, Butch, femme etc etc ad infinitum.

Trans issues matters because the institution did this to one of US. One of OURS. And I know we may all be too cool to give a shit about each other, but decent people, upright people don’t write this kinda shit off.

Now, what Perdue asks is right… is there a nationwide trans group like a fledgling HRC or… just something nationwide? Or is it left to HRC? (And Queerty, thanks for posting this.)

*pissed*

Everything else you said was excellent. I wish we had a nationwide activist group that could organize demonstrations when this kind of thing happens.

RPCV, you must have been abused as a child and liked it!

It’s not human to abuse another human being unless your own life is in danger. Since I doubt very much that the police officers involved were frightened of this person I assume they where themselves abused as kids and see nothing wrong in physically abusing another human being.

The cops definetely must lose their jobs!

As for you, RPCV, try and get counseling before you become an abuser yourself! Or is it already too late for that?

DO IT !

even a “ho” deserves to be treated like a human being by authorities or anyone else. Those cops looked at her and just saw something less than themselves to be slapped around with no consequences.

Saying Get a real job is akin to saying a rape victim was asking for it because of how she was dressed.

Its this new thing we have called empathy, try it.

Mayor Willie W. Herenton
City Hall
125 N. Main St. Room 700
Memphis, Tn 38103
901-576-6007

Additionally the direct connections between hate speech and hate violence is absolutely clear in this video and illustrates why we need a powerful anti-hate speech law to supplement a hate crimes law. One doesn’t work without the other.

Our community has to respond aggressively to these attacks. I’m glad so see lawyers involved but the leaders of the Memphis GLBT community should consider taking a time out from partisan campaigning to mount a far more important campaign; a campaign to demand that all the police present and their supervisors be fired and lose their pensions. The perp should be prosecuted for aggravated assault they should be prosecuted as accessories.

This beating could have ended tragically for Duanna if this bigoted EuroAmerican pig had made the initial arrest – she could have been taken into an alley and killed. It happens.

Shelby County District Attorney’s Office
201 Poplar Avenue, Third Floor
Memphis, Tennessee 38103
901-545-5900

Media inquiries should be directed to:
Jennifer Donnals, Communications Director
901-545-5988
jennifer.donnals@scdag.com