Transgender Woman Ticketed For Using Parkland Ladies Room "I Did Nothing Wrong"

Paula Witherspoon, a transgender woman from Dallas Texas was ticketed for using the ladies room after another woman told hospital police she was made 'very afraid' by Paula. A day ago the Dallas Voice broke this story. I called friends in Dallas, not knowing Paula personally, before committing my reputation in her defense and what I was told made me hesitate in posting. I needed to wait, given how much had not been brought to light and the importance of this story.

What my friends told me turned out to be true. Paula is a convicted sex offender on parole and does wear a ankle braclet. Paula's legal name has not been changed to reflect her feminine expression, a fact some news outlets taut, while misgendering her with male pronouns like a additional damning piece of evidence of misdeeds.

That's enough to motivate me to post. I have been forced to endure a very similar transphobic bathroom attack just miles from Parkland hospital. Parkland says the ticket she received is 'under review' casting doubt on the validity of the charge and the Parkland police actions.
Is Paula a victim having been identified as a easy target by a hateful woman or did she actually commit a crime in that restroom? If justice prevails we will learn the truth, or what the is perceived by the the majority as truth in the form of a verdict.
KHOU 11 Houston's impartial and unbiased report

CeCe McDonald to be Sentenced For Not Being Murdered: INjustice Done

Cece a black transgender woman defended herself surviving the attack by three racist transphobic bigots. Her reward, 41 months in jail. A white man in Florida shoots dead an unarmed black teenager and isn't even arrested until after social media, like this blog, forces mainstream media to bring national attention to the crime.

From my perspective as a transgender advocate who mourns the murder of trans people ever DAY AND A HALF, I'm relieved. At least it wasn't our sisters dead body in that ambulance.

But a major injustice has been done non the less.

From the CeCe McDonald Support Committee:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 2, 2012

Chrishaun "CeCe" McDonald Accepts Plea Agreement to Reduced Manslaughter Charge

Racism, Transphobia in Legal System Continued Assault McDonald Survived, Supporters Charge

Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-757 and Billy Navarro Jr, MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612) 823-1152

Minneapolis, MN - Earlier today, Ms. Chrishaun "CeCe" McDonald accepted a plea agreement to a reduced charge of manslaughter in the second degree in the criminal case resulting from the racist, transphobic assault she survived last June that left one of her attackers dead. The prosecution had originally charged her with felony murder in the second degree. However, after entering into plea negotiations this morning, the defense and the prosecution settled on the reduced charge. McDonald will be sentenced on June 4th at 1:30pm under Hennepin County Judge Daniel Moreno to 41 months in prison. The executed sentence will be reduced by one third, for "good time" and credit for the time McDonald has served pending this resolution.

The plea agreement comes nearly a year after McDonald was arrested, interrogated, denied adequate medical care for a laceration she suffered during the attack and held in solitary confinement for a month for being a transgender person. During the pre-trial proceedings, supporters raised world-wide support for the charges against McDonald to be dropped. Last month, supporters delivered to Hennepin County Attorney Michael Freeman a petition for dropping the charges with over 15,000 signatures and dozens of letters of support for McDonald from organizations and prominent individuals from around the globe.

Freeman consistently failed to exercise his professional discretion and take a stand against racism and transphobia by dropping the charges.

"Freeman's aggressive prosecution of CeCe was a continuation of the racist, transphobic assault that led to her being charged and resulted in the tragic death of one of the assailants," said Kris Gebhard of the CeCe McDonald Support Committee. "We've been proud to stand with CeCe as she fought this unjust prosecution and will continue to stand with her as she fights for justice as a trans woman of color within the prison system."

In a press conference after the plea agreement was accepted in court, Katie Burgess of the Trans Youth Support Network addressed the crowd of supporters filling the steps outside the Hennepin County Courthouse. Burgess said:

"Over the past 10 months I have witnessed the legal system isolating and attacking another young trans woman of color in our community, CeCe McDonald. And over the past 10 months, I have also witnessed our community say very clearly, 'You are not alone, CeCe! And we have had enough!'

"With the whole world watching, Freeman's office consistently chose not to take the opportunity to stand up against racism and transphobia. Freeman himself said, and I quote, 'The criminal justice system is not built for, nor is it necessarily good at, solving a lot of society's problems.'

"We know that this system is not designed to deliver justice to young trans women of color. We are going to continue to support CeCe as she goes through this process and continue to stand for justice for all trans people and people of color so that this is the last time a young trans woman of color has to go through this."

Supporters will pack the courtroom for the sentencing on June 4th and continue to rally support for McDonald and to demand justice for all trans people and people of color.

For further updates, visit supportcece.wordpress.com and follow @Free_CeCe on Twitter