Angie Zapata Case – Victory!
Yesterday the jury ruled to convict the Allen Andrade to life in prison without parole for murdering Angie Zapata.
A man who claimed he snapped before killing a transgender woman was swiftly convicted of first-degree murder and a hate crime Wednesday for savagely beating the woman with a fire extinguisher.
Allen Andrade, 32, of Thornton, was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of killing Angie Zapata, 18. The jury deliberated for just two hours before finding Andrade guilty…..
I was hoping that Angie Zapata’s death would get justice. And not just any justice, but the kind that shows that the murder of a transgender person is a hate crime. I, like many other members of the LGBTQI movement, am sick and tired of my family members being murdered and the intent being labeled something other than the real reason (read: transphobia, homophobia, sexism…).
The case was believed to be the first prosecution under Colorado’s bias-crime statute for a crime involving a transgender person. Gay rights activists hope publicity from the case would pressure Congress to add sexual orientation and gender identity to a federal hate crime law.
Meaning, that this the first case where the murder of a transgender person has not been written off as something else (like random act of violence) in the state of Colorado. Now if only they did this for all the trans people who were murdered around this country…
Oh, and kudos to P. Solomon Banda and the Associated Press for using the correct name, terminology, and pronouns when covering this case. Angie’s birth name and birth pronouns were only used in direct quotes. This is a step in the right direction for how our press covers trans people.
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For all those not familiar with Angie Zapata and this case, feel free to check out Light a Candle for Angie Zapata – the memorial and publicity website made to educate the public about her case. Conducting a Google search will also get you articles written from when she was murdered till now.
Filed under: All Posts, Social Justice, Transphobia
