Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Gwen Araujo jury rejects "tranny panic" defense

In the retrial of the three individuals charged with the murder of "transgender teen Gwen Araujo," as she is consistenly called, the jury firmly rejected the defense contention that the fact that Gwen concealed her male anatomy from her sexual partners in some sense justified their decision to kill her.

The jury reached a guilty verdict on charges of 2nd-degree murder on two of the defendants, and deadlocked on the third by a vote of 9-3 to convict. It remains to be seen whether the last defendant will receive a third trial.

However, the fact that the jury completely repudiated the victim's status as a transgender person as a justification for her murder, stands as a victory for justice and the rule of law.