Angie Zapata's Murder: A Myspace Defense

On a not uplifting note, a Myspace page was brought to my attention today. It's a page seemingly created by the brother of Allen Ray Andrade - in his defense.

Andrade was convicted of the First Degree Murder of a transgender woman named Angie Zapata- an incident that his brother and other family members refer to as Andrade's "one mistake". For instance, his brother comments:

"People THINK that they know my brother based on the ONE mistake that he made last year. Well, you don't. See, he's a BROTHER, SON, uncle, nephew, grandson, cousin, and friend. He's never denied his identity as a straight male. NEVER. My brother loves WOMEN...the kind GOD makes with vaginas, fallopian tubes, uteruses, periods. -- In my opinion, God gives WOMEN the opportunity to co-create with him. It's an opportunity that surgery or mindset can not achieve. It never will. -- Now, that's not to say that I believe all women should bear children. Some can't for whatever reason and SOME shouldn't, and I can think of one family in particular that falls in the latter. Anyway, I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason. I've told Allen Ray many times that he's truly the lucky one, not only is he here, but he gets a second chance at life. He gets to confess, repent, and move on. We get to do that with him. Sometimes when God needs you to listen he puts us somewhere where we can. It is not fair to judge people by what you read. Only I know what happened, and have to live with it everyday of my life. It wasn't what the media portrayed it to be or the state. I am holding myself accountable. So judge not, please... By the grace of God, I hope that none of you reading this, ever have a loved one go through this ordeal. Keep your sons and daughters safe! Teach them morals ~ beginning with the truth."

Wow.

His "one mistake" was murdering an 18 year old girl - Angie Zapata, who's transsexual, in Greeley, Colorado:



It's interesting to have exposure through an online window into the perceptions and bias of the murderer's family. It's astounding to me how, despite the fact that Andrade literally murdered another human being, his brother attempts to rationalize it with a lot of theistic rhetoric and blatant discrimination. According to him, Andrade "gets to confess, repent, and move on."

Because, keep in mind, "only God can judge", and apparently murdering an 18-year-old due to her gender expression is just a small mistake that God can forgive. It's no big deal. Those media culprits, making Andrade out to be a bad guy! He never hid his heterosexuality!

Autumn Sandeen, a transgender activist living in San Diego, was able to attend Andrade's trial and wrote:

I don't know Allen Ray Andrade, but I do know that a jury of his peers judged him guilty of four crimes, which included First Degree Murder and a Bias Motivated Crime (a hate crime). I was in the courtroom for the entire trial, and I saw a brutal murder scene that I'll never be able to get completely out of my mind, and heard Allen Ray Andrade say in recorded jailhouse telephone calls:

"It's not like I went up to a schoolteacher and shot her in the head or ... killed a law-abiding straight citizen."
And...

"Did you see that thing in make-up?"
And...

"I can't cry over spilled milk."

And, I can't count how many times I heard Allen Ray Andrade refer to Angie Zapata as "it."

I certainly understand that Mr. Andrade's family wants to support their brother; I certainly understand that familial love can be a powerful force for change in a person's life. And, never let it be said that I don't believe in contrition and repentance. Read the rest of her article >

So unsettling.

Allyson Robinson, HRC Associate Director of Diversity, commented on April 22nd after the trial,

"As a transgender woman, I am grateful that Angie’s killer has been brought to justice. I hope that today’s verdict brings a degree of closure to Angie’s family, who were devastated that someone who was such an integral part of their lives is gone. The sheer brutality of Angie's murder—the way her killer viewed her as less than human simply because of her gender identity and expression—highlights our community's desperate need for hate crimes protection,"

On the plus side, "the trial marks the first time that Colorado’s gender identity-inclusive hate crimes statute has been applied in the investigation and prosecution of an anti-transgender murder case.", and that's pretty amazing.

The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement after the trial:

"We owe the jury a debt of gratitude for seeing through the shameful 'trans panic' defense which attempted to blame the victim for this heinous crime," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "The murder of Angie Zapata, just 18-years-old, is a tragic reminder of the hate and ignorance that threatens the transgender community every day. While these cases are far too common, we applaud Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck and his office for pursing the hate crime in a case where the crime was clearly directed not just at the victim, but at an entire community."

Light a Candle for Angie Zapata: End Hate.
Pam's House Blend: Angie Zapata's Murderer Has A MySpace Page