Source: Transgender Legal Defense and Education FundOn July 17, Dwight R. DeLee was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting death of 22-year-old Lateisha Green in Syracuse, New York. Tomorrow, DeLee will be sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison for his role in the killing. TLDEF staff members are currently en route to Syracuse. We'll once again be blogging and posting Twitter and Facebook updates about developments on the ground at the sentencing.
The image you see in this message is from Essence magazine's recent coverage of Lateisha's story. When we first began working with Lateisha's family after her death last year, they asked us to help ensure that her death would not be in vain, and that people would learn something from their tragic loss. We're very proud - and Lateisha's family is very proud - that Essence has chosen to feature Lateisha's story. Essence occupies a special place in the hearts of millions of Black women. Since it was launched in 1970, Essence has become a cultural institution in the African-American community. By speaking out about Lateisha's story, Lateisha's family is connecting with audiences that might otherwise never have heard about her life or death as a transgender woman. From the Associated Press to the Los Angeles Times, and now to Essence, Lateisha's story is touching the hearts and minds of millions of people who probably knew very little about the continuing violence that affects the daily lives of transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people. We're grateful to Lateisha's family for speaking out, and we're grateful to our friends at GLAAD, whose expertise helped to keep this story alive for millions of people.
If you're not familiar with Lateisha's story, you can learn about it by reading the following articles and blog postings on our web site. They're chock full of information, photos and videos, and we think they're well worth your time:
The Lateisha Green Murder: Violence Against Transgender People Resource Kit (4 pages);
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Sunday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Monday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Tuesday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Wednesday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Thursday Blog Post;
The Lateisha Green Murder Trial: Final Trial Blog Post;
and
TLDEF Statement On Verdict In Lateisha Green Trial.
Show Your SupportPlease continue to send personal notes of encouragement to Lateisha’s family during this difficult time. You can email correspondence by clicking here. We can't guarantee the family will be able to reply to your emails, but we know that they'll read them and that they appreciate everyone's support. Please write!
Stay InformedFor final updates from the sentencing, stay tuned to all of the following sources:our website;TLDEF on Twitter;the “Justice for Teish” Facebook page; andGLAAD on Twitter.
As a final note, thank you for your support of the work we've been doing on this case. Your notes of encouragement motivate us to pursue our work for equal rights. We always welcome your input, and encourage you to continue to contact us. Thank you.
Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund is committed to ending discrimination based upon gender identity and expression, and to achieving equality for transgender people through public education, test-case litigation, direct legal services, community organizing and public policy efforts.
