Stop Hate

Hate crimes are possibly the most upsetting to me because there is absolutely no reason why they should ever transpire. I am a very open minded person and I believe that we should live and let live. Life is precious and it is senseless to attack others for something that they cannot change.

Last weekend a transgendered woman was shot and killed for nothing more than her gender identity. It has not yet been confirmed that the crime was a hate crime but friends of the woman are certain that this is the motive behind the shooting of 37 year old Hayward resident Brandy Martell (Milton Massey Jr.) The 37 year old victim from Hayward was shot while sitting in her parked car at the intersection of 13th and Franklin streets at around 5 am on Sunday, as stated by Oakland Police.

The Alameda County medical examiner identified the victim as Milton Massey however, Tiffany Woods, a co-worker of the victim, explained that Massey identified herself as a woman and went by the name of Brandy Martell. Before the shooting, Martell was with three other transgender women in the same area, which is a common gathering place for transgender women who feel unwelcome at other establishments in the East Bay.

Tiffany Woods stated that witnesses had told her that Martell and the others were approached around 3 in the morning by two men who tried to lure them to another location. Martell and her friends talked to the men for a short while and then explained that they were transgendered. Once they explained their gender identity, the man left without further conversation.

The men are alleged to have returned, shot Brandy Martell, and left the scene. Oakland Police responded to the scene and found Martell dead in her vehicle. No one else was injured and no arrests have been made yet. The police have not yet classified this case as a hate crime but they are looking into it.

The reason I write this post is to further shed light on hate crimes in hope that they will stop. Bringing the issues to light can help with our awareness of the problem and allow us to move forward as a more accepting society. However, until these problems are exposed, there will be no progress. It is absolutely devastating that a life was lost and I hope that as a society we can learn from this tragedy and move forward.

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