Report: Dallas Man Was Offered $200 To Assault Trans Woman

The Dallas Morning News reports that Edward Dominic Thomas, accused of brutally assaulting a transgender woman, was offered $200 to beat her.

The altercation took place between 5 and 6 p.m. on Friday at the Royal Crest Apartments in Dallas, Texas.

The victim, 23-year-old Muhlaysia Booker, told police she accidentally backed into another car in the parking lot of the apartment complex.

The driver of the vehicle, who has been named as a suspect but not yet arrested, admitted to running Booker “off the road to keep her from fleeing.”

The driver reportedly aimed a gun at Booker while demanding $200 for the vehicle damage.

As a crowd gathered, someone reportedly offered Thomas $200 to beat Booker, according to the police affidavit.

Edward Dominic Thomas (mugshot)

Video of Thomas viciously beating Booker went viral after being posted to Facebook.

In the video, Thomas punches the transgender woman over and over. At one point, two other men joined in kicking Booker.

Click below to watch the video. Warning - graphic violence:

The attack ended when several women picked Booker up, and transported her to UT Southwestern Medical Center where she was treated for a concussion, a fractured wrist and bruising.

Booker told the police she heard homophobic slurs during the attack.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Thomas has a record of previous convictions for family violence assault, burglary and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Thomas was interviewed on Sunday by police, at which time he admitted to the assault but denied “saying anything derogatory.” He was charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. His bail was set at $75,000.

A spokesman for Dallas Police, Lt. Vincent Weddington, told the press authorities are looking into whether hate crime charges may apply to the incident.

Weddington also announced the police anticipate more arrests in the case.

"This case is certainly disturbing," Weddington said. "The video, I'm sure, shocks the conscience of anyone who looks at this video. ... This is being taken very seriously in our department."

Mayor Mike Rawlings issued a statement about the assault via Twitter which read, “I am extremely angry about what appears to be mob violence against this woman. I am in contact with the chief and she assured me that the Dallas Police Department is fully investigating, including the possibility that this was a hate crime.”

Statement: Chief Hall alerted me this morning to the assault at the Royal Crest Apartments and I have seen a video of what happened. I am extremely angry about what appears to be mob violence against this woman. I am in contact with the chief and she... https://t.co/zlr5TN68Ic https://t.co/FvO9ALT13j

— Mike Rawlings (@Mike_Rawlings) April 13, 2019

News Round-Up: April 15, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• Now, y'all know the fab Shoshana Bean is back on the Broad Way starring in Sara Bareilles' Waitress, right? Annnnd, her leading man is the oh-so-talented Jeremy Jordan? Get to the Brooks Atkinson Theater before they be gone. #JustSaying

• A jury sentenced a man to death because they thought he would enjoy being in prison for life because he is gay.

• Dallas police arrested 29-year-old Edward Thomas on a charge of aggravated assault for the brutal beating of a transgender woman. Authorities are investigating whether the brutal attack caught on video should have hate crime charges attached, although gender identity is not a protected class in the state. The video, posted to Facebook, is quite disturbing as Thomas punches the victim over and over as a crowd stood by.

• At Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Missouri, an unnamed student tore down a large hanging sign advertising the school’s Gay Straight Trans Alliance (GSTA). The vandal crumpled up the sign into a ball and dropped it into the crowd below as dozens of students laughed and clapped.

• A 40-year-old man has filed a lawsuit against his parents for throwing away his porn collection that he estimates was worth $29,000.

• Donald Trump has a challenger for the 2020 Republican nomination - former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld has officially declared as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 2020.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders has released 10 years of tax returns showing both income and tax rate jumped after presidential campaign, and revealing his millionaire status.

• I could really, really wish to be in Mykonos right now with this guy... :)

View this post on Instagram

Mykonos at its best. @rondorff #blueandwhite #stripes #swimtrunks #rondorff . AD. . Photographer: @pascalpprl

A post shared by KILLIAN (@killian___) on Apr 14, 2019 at 5:46am PDT

Trans Woman From El Salvador Murdered After Being Deported From U.S.

Camila was murdered after being deported back to El Salvador 
(image via Aspidh Arcoiris Trans)

A transgender woman, who came to the United States from El Salvador, has been murdered after she was deported from the U.S. back to her native country.

The woman, who went by the names Camila and Aurora, sought asylum in the U.S., but according to the Washington Blade, she was deported when immigration authorities didn’t believe she had received threats of violence in her home country.

A Salvadoran transgender advocacy group, Asociación Aspidh Arcoiris Trans, told the Blade that Camila/Aurora had gone missing near the end of January.

After a search of local hospitals, she was located in Rosales National Hospital in San Salvador with multiple injuries. She passed away on February 3.

Camila is now the second trans woman murdered in El Salvador this month.

On February 8, a trans woman named Lolita was murdered with a machete in Sonsonate.

Neither murders have been classified as a hate crime since both died in hospitals without mentioning being victims of violence.

In 2015, El Salvador amended its penal code to include enhanced punishment for crimes based on gender identity and/or sexual orientation. But local activists say the judicial system is slow to investigate such crimes.

“It is unfortunate that although we have articles in the penal code that (allow for the classification of) crimes committed against trans people as hate crimes, they are not put into practice,” Tatiana Molina, an LGBTI activist and Miss Trans El Salvador 2018, told the Blade. “Such is the case of all the crimes that have occurred in recent years and specifically the cases of Camila and Lolita. That is why we are demanding justice and the prompt investigation and prosecution of these cases.”

El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates per capita in the world. For transgender people, gang violence, as well as threats from police and family members, has spurred many to migrate from the Central American country to the U.S.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have confirmed to the Blade that 45 transgender women are being housed at a detention center in Texas, including several from El Salvador.

(h/t Washington Blade)

North Carolina: Two Women Arrested For Sex Assault On Trans Woman In Public Restroom

Jessica Leann Fowler and Amber Nicole Harrell

Two women have been charged with misdemeanor sexual battery and felony second-degree kidnapping after violently attacking a transgender woman in the ladies room of a downtown Raleigh bar.

According to the NewsObserver, Amber Nicole Harrell, 38, and Jessica Leann Fowler, 31, struck up what began as a ‘friendly conversation’ with the victim at Milk Bar on December 9.

But the women reportedly became violent and grabbed the trans woman’s genitals asking if she had a penis.

The assault was reported the next day by a friend of the victim who called 911.

A recording of the call, made public by the Raleigh Police Department, shows the two women started laughing as they pulled up the victim’s shirt in an attempt to see her breasts. They also grabbed the victim’s buttocks repeatedly as the victim told them to stop.

The assault continued after the three left the ladies room as the women openly groped the victim’s stomach and buttocks.

The bartender eventually told Fowler and Harrell to stop.

Harrell turned herself in to the police over the weekend and was released on $50,000 bail Monday morning.

Fowler turned herself in on Tuesday and is being held in the Wake County jail under a $30,000 bond.

In 2016, state lawmakers passed HB2, an anti-LGBTQ law which prohibited transgender people from using public bathrooms which aligned with their gender identity unless they had changed the gender listed on their birth certificate.

The law was repealed a year later but replaced with HB142, which still did not ensure trans people would have access to public restrooms. Additionally, the new law left prohibitions in place that bans any local communities from passing their own non-discrimination ordinances.

(h/t NewsObserver)

Today Is Transgender Day Of Remembrance

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance on November 20 that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

This is a day to pause and reflect on anti-transgender violence around the world.

According to The Trans Murder Monitoring research project, between the 1st of October 2017 and September 30, 2018, 369 cases of reported murders of transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people have been reported.

That represents an increase of 44 deaths compared to 2017 and 74 more cases than in 2016.

Brazil (167 murders) and Mexico (71) lead in violence against trans people.

In the United States, there have been 28 murders of transgender people in the past 12 months, up from 25 the previous year. And that figure represents only the deaths we know of.

The rise in violence against trans people comes as the Trump administration continues its assault on protections for trans Americans.

In October, the New York Times reported that Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Department plans to redefine transgender people out of existence.

Early in Trump's time in office he announced he plans on banning transgender Americans from serving in the U.S. military.

Additionally, the Department of Education reversed an Obama-era policy that held trans students should be allowed ot use the bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

TDOR is a day not only to mourn those we've lost and celebrate the lives they lived, but also bring awareness to the daily struggles and dangers that trans and gender non-conforming people face around the world on a daily basis.

The video below was released last year by Shape History who asked trans youth about the labels put on them by society.

Take a listen to these trans young people about their feelings on how they are perceived and how they'd like to be seen:

Gwendolyn Ann Smith founded Transgender Day of Remembrance in 1999 as a way to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman who was brutally murdered.

In a statement to GLAAD, Smith writes that the observance “seeks to highlight the losses we face due to anti-transgender bigotry and violence.”

“I am no stranger to the need to fight for our rights, and the right to simply exist is first and foremost,” she continues. “With so many seeking to erase transgender people -- sometimes in the most brutal ways possible -- it is vitally important that those we lose are remembered, and that we continue to fight for justice."

You can participate by attending a vigil on November 20 to honor all those whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence this year.

Vigils are typically hosted by local transgender advocates or LGBT organizations, and held at community centers, parks, places of worship and other venues. The vigil often involves reading a list of the names of those who died that year.

Check out a full list of events here.

Hillary Clinton and other leaders expressed their thoughts on trans violence via Twitter.

On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember the names and the lives of those we’ve lost to violence this year:https://t.co/zmXbSuOo7n

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 20, 2018

Gigi Pierce.

Nino Fortson.

Karla Patricia Flores-Pavón.

Sasha Wall.

Amia Tyrae.

Phylicia Mitchell.

Zakaria Fry.

Celine Walker.

Tonya Harvey.

Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien.

Viccky Gutierrez.

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 20, 2018

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we mourn those who lost their lives because of anti-transgender violence and bigotry. We all have a responsibility to fight for safety and equality for everyone — now is not the time to be silent. #TDOR pic.twitter.com/lIvIxDrbBb

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 20, 2018

On Transgender Day of Remembrance, we remember those who have lost their loves from anti-transgender violence.



We must strive every single day to combat these acts of violence, which have already claimed at least 22 lives this year. #TDOR #TDOR18 pic.twitter.com/0G8qxHORRJ

— Linda T. Sánchez (@RepLindaSanchez) November 20, 2018

Today is #TransDayofRemembrance. Of the 22 transgender lives lost since the beginning of 2018, the victims are mostly young, mostly female and mostly black. via @julieallmighty https://t.co/P3iwvCeokt #transgenderdayofremembrance #TDOR2018 #TDOR pic.twitter.com/f8fPo7lD6c

— NBC Out (@NBCOUT) November 20, 2018

You can find more about this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance at the hashtag #TDOR on Twitter here. 


You can find more about this year's Transgender Day of Remembrance at the hashtag #TDOR on Twitter here.

News Round-Up: July 30, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• Now why don't any of my hikes come across folks like InstaHunk Joel Green? #NatureDoesAGuyGood

• The documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, which chronicles the life of Scotty Bowers who procured "dates" for movie stars back in the Golden Age of Hollywood, scored big at the box office in it's first weekend.

• Donald Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told the hosts of Fox & Friends that "collusion is not a crime." #ItsCalledTreason

• Deonton A. Rogers faces several serious charges for the non-fatal shooting of a 29-year-old trans woman in Detroit. Rogers made a lewd remark to her, but when he realized the woman was transgender, he initiated a fight. But the woman fought back; that prompted Rogers to pull out a gun and shoot the woman in the shoulder before fleeing the scene. The victim has since made a full recovery, and lucky for her, the entire incident was caught on security cameras.

• Hundred of mourners showed up for the funeral of Anthony Avalos, the 10-year-old boy who died having endured years of physical abuse and had come out as gay just before he was killed.

• Olympic medal-winning figure skater, Adam Rippon, announced this morning that he will be joining the panel of judges for “Dancing With The Stars: Juniors.” Rippon won season 26 of the reality show with pro partner Jenna Johnson.

So excited to announce that I will be judging this season of Dancing With The Stars: JUNIORS 🌟 along side my friends, @iamvalc and @nopenother. The show premieres October 7th on @abcnetwork 🕺🏼💃🏼

A post shared by Adam Rippon (@adaripp) on Jul 30, 2018 at 6:56am PDT

News Round-Up: January 8, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• It may be cold in a lot of the U.S., but fitness trainer/model Austen Gravett (above) says the cold never bothered him anyway.

• Christa Leigh Steele-Knudslien, the founder of the Miss Trans America Pageant, was found stabbed to death in her Massachusetts home on Friday. Her husband, Mark Steele-Knudslien, 47, has been charged in the murder after confessing to the crime. Christa, sadly, becomes the first transgender woman killed in 2018.

• Total LGBT ally and all-around badass pop star Pink will perform the national anthem at this year's Super Bowl. Her latest album, Beautiful Trauma, has sold over 2 million copies in just a few months.

• Alt-right provocateur, homocon and professional asshole Milo Yiannopoulos will be representing himself in his lawsuit against his former publisher, Simon & Schuster, after his own lawyers dumped him.

• Donald Trump says he wants $18 billion in funding for his wall along the Mexican border or he won't allow the DACA program to continue. The outcome will affect 800,000 young people who were brought to the U.S. as young children. Remember the 1,000+ times Trump told the world Mexico would pay for the wall?

• The West Hollywood gays in L.A. were dying when THE Diana Ross dropped by popular gay hang The Abbey with her son Evan this past Saturday night. Video shows she still can groove. She is still The Boss.

#DianaRoss... yes D I A N A R O S S... stops by @TheAbbeyWeHo tonight in LA! #TheAbbey @DianaRoss #LosAngeles #WeHo 🏳️‍🌈😲 pic.twitter.com/HjeTdqeiFK

— Brian Peel (@Brian_Peel) January 7, 2018

Missouri: Four Young People Charged With Beating & Mutilation Death Of 19-Year-Old Transgender Teen

Joseph Steinfeld aka "Ally"

Four young people have been arrested in Texas County, Missouri on charges relating to the brutal mutilation and murder of transgender teenager Joseph Steinfeld.

On Monday, 19-year-olds Andrew Vrba and Isis Schauer and 24-year-old Briana Calderas were charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and abandonment of a corpse.

Additionally, James T. Grigsby was arraigned on the charges of abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence in a felony case.

Joseph, also known as Joey and Ally, had been reported missing by family.

Steinfeld's sister, Ashleigh Boswell, told the Springfield News-Leader that Joey had discussed being transgender with the family and contemplated undergoing gender-reassignment surgery some day.

Boswell described Joey was "a very loving, outgoing person" who "didn't like conflict whatsoever."

“We honestly don’t understand why they done it,” she added. “It just don’t make any sense.”

From the News-Leader:

When questioned Wednesday, Schauer denied any knowledge of Steinfeld's whereabouts. She said the teen was last seen leaving a Cabool home after having a physical altercation with Vrba. But after obtaining permission to look at her phone, a sheriff's deputy saw the Facebook messages.

Schauer told the deputy she couldn't remember what the conversation was about, but later admitted she was aware of the killing and helped get rid of the body, the probable cause statement said.

Vrba told investigators he had to kill Steinfeld and initially tried to poison the teen, though the probable cause statement didn't provide a possible motive for the attack. The detective wrote that Vrba then described how he stabbed Steinfeld in the living room of the home.

Vrba said the trio burned Steinfeld's body, and placed some of the bones into a garbage bag and that the bag was placed in a chicken coop near the residence. The women said Vrba told them he had gouged Steinfeld's eyes and stabbed the teen in the genitals, and bragged about the killing, the detective wrote.

The detective said Calderas admitted Steinfeld was killed at her home and that she helped burn the body, but that she didn't want Steinfeld dead. Schauer and Vrba disagreed, saying that Calderas mentioned several days earlier that she wanted Steinfeld to die. Calderas led authorities to the knife used in the killing and Steinfeld's phone, the detective wrote.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help Steinfeld’s family handle funeral expenses.

Steinfeld is reportedly the 21st transgender person killed in the U.S. this year.

News Round-Up: August 22, 2017

Some news items you may have missed:

• Model Pietro Boselli is giving you serious face. #Handsome

• New York City news stand staple The Village Voice is ending it's print edition, going digital only.

• An 18-year-old transgender teen says she was invited to a pool party where she was attacked and beaten. The assault landed her in the hospital.

• CNN reports that the Secret Service is running out of money for overtime salaries to agents who protect Donald Trump's large, travel-heavy family.

• Donald Trump's choice to head the USDA believes giving rights to LGBTs could lead to legalizing pedophilia. #SRSLY

• The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights says Trump's plan to ban transgender folks from the U.S. military “a message that fosters and encourages prejudice.”

• American Horror Story fans are thrilled by the release of the opening credits and first trailer for the upcoming season of the anthology series, "Cult." With storylines inspired by last year's presidential race, Sarah Paulson plays a lesbian who loses it on election night. The new season premieres September 5. Watch below.

News Round-Up: June 29, 2017

(image from Nashville Pride via Instagram)

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Pride Month 2017 is winding down, but it's not over. World Pride this weekend in Madrid, Spain! #ColorMeJealous

• A new study shows 30% of lesbian couples still face rejection by wedding vendors. A huge majority of respondents said they’d be more likely to book a vendor that’s not only LGBT-friendly, but actively caters to the LGBTQ community. #MoneyTalks

• By a vote of 157-55, Serbian lawmakers have chosen 41-year-old out lesbian Ana Brnabic to become the nation’s first openly gay head of government.

• Former Fox News host Greta Van Susteren is now "former MSNBC host" as the political TV talker tweets she is "out at MSNBC." In a world of liberal anti-Trump fury, her nascent show never caught on. Ari Melber, the network’s chief legal correspondent, will take over the 6PM time slot.

I am out at MSNBC -

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) June 29, 2017

• Speaking to federal prosecutors at a Justice Department hate crimes summit in Washington, D.C. today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he will "aggressively" prosecute anti-transgender crimes. “We have and will continue to enforce hate crime laws aggressively and appropriately where transgendered individuals are victims,” the attorney general said. #ColorMeShocked

• For a little #TBT action and out music, let's go back to this interview from my podcast with Tony Award winner Billy Porter regarding the release of his awesome album, Billy Porter Presents The Soul of Richard Rodgers.

Hit the play button below to hear several tracks from the collection as well as Billy's inspiration for the project.

Podcast: Chechnya, Chelsea Manning & Out Short Film "Wonderkid"

In this week’s episode of The Randy Report :

• Gay men in Chechnya are still being rounded up, tortured and killed, and guess what the United States is doing about it?

• Transgender whistleblower Chelsea Manning is free after 7 years in prison.

• A Mississippi man is sentenced to 49 years in prison for the murder of his transgender girlfriend.

• Nevada bans so-called “ex-gay” conversion therapy.

• A new study shows facial hair plays a big part in perceived masculinity, sexual attractiveness and even the length of relationships.

• Short film "Wonderkid" tackles homophobia in competitive sports. Watch the full film for free at www.wonderkidfilm.co.uk/watch

I appreciate everyone who follows my podcast.

I'm going to ask a favor here: as podcasts are becoming more and more popular, I'd appreciate it if you would recommend The Randy Report podcast to you friends. It's intended as an easy and listener-friendly way to catch up on the week's LGBTQ headlines.

If you like, please consider sharing the link to my podcast on your social media, or just tell your friends.

In just a few months, I'm proud to say The Randy Report is one of the top LGBT podcasts on iTunes.

Listen below.