Transgender Advocates respond to promised changes to 'Ticked off trannies with knives' trailer.

For immediate Release
Contact

kelli Busey
Email
Activist Organizer
Dallas Transgender Advocates and Allies
Dallastaa.ning.com

Darlie Brewster
Email
Film Maker

Constance Macintosh-Mascherin
conniemacintosh@hotmail.com
activist/coordinator

Melissa Sklarz
New York Trans Rights Organization (NYTRO)
melis0213@aol.com

In response to a outcry from the transgender community condeming the movie trailer linking a murdered transgender woman, Angie Zapata, with 'Ticked off trannies with knives' movie director Israel Luna has agreed to produce a trailer so that Angie Zapata's name no longer appears.

email sent to Kelli Busey from Israel Luna March 29, 2010

"Kelli...

My initial thought of placing both Angie Zapata and Jorge Mercado's names was to give a disturbing reality to my film about transgender violence. Something horrible and disturbing does happen to my characters in the first half of the film.

After listening to many of the voices in the trans-community I've realized that the association between the names at the beginning of the trailer and the content of the film in it's entirety has been difficult to connect.

I've had time to think about it, and have decided to take their names off the beginning of the trailer. I'll begin working on this later today and have it posted this week. I’m not sure if you noticed, but the trailer on the Tribeca site has never included the reference.

Thank you for your email and I wish you the best as well.

Israel"

We are immensely relieved that Angie Zapata's horrific bludgeoning death by Allen Andrade will not be associated directly with this comedy.

However, we are still at odds with any inadvertent associations that this movie may produce with transgender people in real life.

We therefore ask Israel Luna in his amended trailer to place instead a acknowledgement that that this movie is meant for entertainment purposes only and the fictional personalities therein should not be confused as a portrayal of how transgender people interact socially.

***************************

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#Transgender Advocates respond to promised changes to 'Ticked off trannies with knives' Trailer http://bit.ly/ctXJgZ #LGBT #TTWK PLS RT

Easy Resolution to Ticked off Trannies With Knives Refused: Luna's silence Confirms ill intent

Update 3/29 11:49pm Israel Luna has committed to changing the trailer so Angie Zapata's murder would not be connected with this movie.

Setting the record straight.

In a effort to reach out to Israel Luna director of "Ticked off trannies with knifes" I sent him this email over the weekend:

Israel,
I beleive we might have a way to defuse this divisive situation. If you agreed to remove the references to Angie Zapata's murder from the begining of the trailer I beleive most including myself would view this film in a very different light,

What I said before stands, I wish you the best,

Kelli Busey

Israel Luna has not responded to this email and the trailer remains unchanged.

Israel Luna is intentionally and with forethought slandering transgender people with a slur that would be used in the court of law by the prosecutor to prove a aggravated assault was in fact a hate crime.

*Israel Luna was fully cognisant of the offensiveness of his movie before it went into production.

The announcement of his project came as a comment by him on a Dallas Voice Blog article which was the very post that responded to my objection to the Dallas Voices indiscriminate and often use of the word "tranny".

*Israel Luna demonstrates his awareness of transgender sensitivities.

Luna, frustrated after receiving objections from the overwhelming majority of commenter's to the name and content of his planned movie singled me out for attack since I was the most outspoken. In a lowlife maneuver Luna attempted to shame me into silence by OUTING me as a pre-op transsexual.

Israel Luna Says: February 1st, 2009 at 11:47

I don’t know if this will matter or not but the simple story to my script is:
GIRLS perform.
GIRLS get bashed by STRAIGHT MEN.
GIRLS are left for dead.
GIRLS come back and kick their ass!
The End.
These characters will be so empowering, so strong, so amazingly-kick-ass hot and feirce!
I don’t feel that TICKED-OFF PRE-OP TRANSITIONING M2F SEXUALLY REASSIGNING WOMEN WITH KNIVES would be as appropriate.

Outing someone intentionally ia a act of violence meant to endanger their well being. However I was not and am not ashamed of my poverty I endure since transitioning that prohibits me from obtaining sexual reassignment surgery.

Israel Luna is seeking wealth and fame by intentionally antagonizing and marginalizing transgender people. That deserves the recognition it is owed.

This movie may very well be shown at the Tribeca and the Q Cinemas in Fort Worth as planned regardless, but notice to all who will pay tribute to this tragic betrayal of their transgender brethren. You are paying homage to a deceitful and malicious man who's only joy is in tearing our society apart.

Do you believe Luna will be sedated by targeting transgender people exclusively? And so what if he does, you're not transgender?

You say you are already out so who cares? You trans/gay closeted child loves you and needs a chance in life. Your fellow church member who lives in fear of being outed deserves your concern. The unborn transgender, gay and lesbians who have yet to face a homophobic/transphobic family and society deserve better from you.