On Sunday, Brandy Martell, an African-American trans woman, was found shot to death in a car parked outside the Golden Lotus Café in Downtown Oakland, CA.
According to SF Weekly, Martell, 37 was walking near 13th and Franklin Streets at 6am when she was shot in front of the restaurant. Local activists claim she was killed by man who had “become enraged and shot her when he realized she was trans.” Police are investigating her death as a possible hate crime.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reports that, until recently, Martell worked as an outreach worker at Fremont’s Tri-City Health Center.
ScaryRussianHeather
Which is it? She was “walking” when she was shot or “in a car”. Nice editing, Queerty.
“Realized she was trans”. ? I love these “activists” who just spin, spin, spin. Oh there’s a trans person over there I think I’ll shoot them.
The original article also says ” Police say she was involved in some type of altercation before the shooting.”
It’s also ironic that the person being interviewed in the video says they were “just sitting in a car when two guys came up to us”. “just hanging out having a good time” “not in the sex trade”…and THEN WHAT? eyeroll. No facts but lots of character testimonial.
Belize
@ScaryRussianHeather: LOL. I love your attempt to be critical while showcasing your incapacity to understand something so simple.
She was found “shot dead” in the car. Queerty never said that she was “shot to death in the car.” Also, it was not Queerty who stated that the woman was shot while “walking.” It was the source. However, the woman was found dead in the car so it could’ve been possible that she was shot at while walking and she died in her car.
Granted, it is very vague. But considering your comment, that portion was not faulty due to faulty editing.
To summarize everything I’ve said, get down from your high horse if you don’t have the intellectual capacity to stay there, bitch.
Holly
Thank you for the coverage of this heartbreaking crime! We obviously need more on-the-ground reporting of the facts but without media pressure the police & prosecutors will not treat Brandy Martell’s life as important. We need to speak her name and tell people about this crime.
shannon
TO OUR SISTERS….PLEASE….BE CAREFUL WHEN MEETING MEN…TELL THEM UP FRONT YOU ARE TRANS…IN PUBLIC……NOT EVERY MAN WANTS TO BE ANOTHER MAN OR A TANS WOMAN…..JUST FOR YOUR SAFETY…
Andrea Horne
Brandy was shot in or around her own new car, the article(s) fail to mention that fact…Brandy was a girl that was going places…she usually had a nine to five gig…but where she was last working just lost some of their funding and she had recently been laid off….Brandy had her own house and was a fabulous community role model….She was no hooker, but even if she was being a hooker doesn’t mean one isn’t a kind person, Brandy was a girl that minded her own business and was not the least bit messy….Brandy was loved by her parents, family and her friends and her colleagues as well. She was classy, pretty, she had the most enviable flawless skin I have ever seen; she was intelligent, a loving person, community advocate…she was a lot of fun to be around and a silly goof ball too….The *&^%$ that shot her is clearly a psychopath “gunning” for trouble everyone in that part of town at that time of night knows “what time it is” so the “enraged” defense is fake, transparent and expected….he was probably a trans chaser that got turned down….and I hope he gets “served” while he serves his life sentence…She was shot down on the street as if her life didn’t matter…Her life did matter…and a new angel is sitting up next to God, pooched!!!!
Clockwork
California is a dangerous state for trans people, lot of violent psychos of all ages, races, and orientations.
I’ve been surprised at the number of aggressive tranny chasers in the Bay and Los Angeles areas.
MarieDelta
Shannon I’m a trans woman. I’m not a man. Yes I do tell men and women who I date that I’m trans but they know either before we meet since I write this in online profiles or when we meet in public they find out fast from me telling them or they’ll ask.
May she rest in peace.
C
I knew Brandy she was a sweet lady. Kept a clean house and beautiful as can be. I almost fell in love. I’m crushed.
13Zeroither
i’m sorry? a ‘possible’ hate crime? Please