On the morning of April 9 a transgender woman of color named Coko (she does not wish her full name or image to be shared) arranged to meet a 16-year old Tampa man named Tavares Spencer.
I tell anyone, whether its platonic, intimate, I let everybody know because I'm not ashamed of who I am. I'm very confident about my sexuality. I'm transgender, if you really don't want to have any dealings with me I understand, but I'm just letting you know so there's no confusion.
--Coko
When they met, Spencer pulled out a gun and told Coko to get on the ground. Spencer then shot her twice in the hip.
Coko alleges that Spencer desired sex with her, but was angered to discover that she was anatomically male.
So basically, he was just doing this out of hate. I believe he wanted me to be a real female so bad, that he was kind of upset.
I don’t put nothing past anybody. It’s just a shock that it happened to me, because I don’t go around hurting people. I’m a sweet person. I’m not a perfect person.
--Coko
He was like, I'm not playing with you and I could just see it in his eyes, that he really meant business, the hatred. Directly right here, when it went through it shattered, not shattered, it fractured my hip and my pelvis bone.
--Coko
Coko pretended to be dead and when Spencer walked away, she got up and ran. Spencer saw her and fired another shot at her, but did not hit her.
Coko says Spencer took her phone, a necklace and about $5. Detectives say that Spencer shot Coko because of her gender identity.
According to investigators, about an hour after the shooting, Taveras was bragging about the shooting in text messages and using defamtory language towards Coko.
Spencer was in a different incident and has now been charged as an adult with a hate crime. A warrant to search his cellphone is what revealed the text messages and led to the arrest.
He wasn’t willing to make a lot of statements, but my detectives were taken by his lack of remorse in this incident. He showed very little to none.
--Tampa Police Sergeant Michael Stout
Coko is currently undergoing physical therapy and is said to be recovering well.
The case is not unusual. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) has released its annual report (pdf), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer AND HIV-Affected Hate Violence in 2012 documenting anti-LGBT violence in America.
The key findings in the report are these:
| Anti-LGBTQ and HIV-affected hate violence stayed relatively consistent with the previous year, showing a 4% decrease from 2,092 in 2011 to 2,016 in 2012.
Homicides decreased by 16.7% (from 30 to 25), but the total number remains the fourth highest ever recorded. The homicides which did occur disproportionately impacted people of color, transwomen, and gender non-conforming people. 73.1% of homicides were people of color, while survivors and victims of violence overall were 53% people of color. 50% of total victims were transgender women, while 38.5% were gay men. The proportion of homicide victims who were transwomen rose from 40% in 2011 to 56% in 2012. Transgender survivors and victims of hate violence overall were 10.5% of all LGBTQ and HIV-affected survivors and victims.
Transgender people were 3.32 times as likely to experience police violence as compared to cisgender survivors and victims and 2.46 as likely to experience physical violence from police as cisgender survivors and victims. Transpeople of color were 2.37 times as likely to experience discrimination as compared to white cisgender survivors and victims. Transgender women were 2.90 times as likely to experience police violence as compared to survivors and victims who were not transwomen of color and 2.14 times as likely to experience discrimination.
Gay men were 3 times as likely to report physical violence to police than other survivors and victims and 1.56 as likely to require medical attention.
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Last Thursday Victor Diego, 22, who identifies as both gay and transgender and is an employee at Eva Longoria's Hollywood Boulevard restaurant, Beso, finished her shift and departed from the restaurant. while walking toward a Metro transit station on Hollywood Boulevard, she was assaulted by a group of men, who began to punch and kick her. She is now in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with a broken jaw, damage to the temple, and a shattered cheekbone.
He was basically left for dead just because of who he is. Sometimes men try to talk to him and they get humiliated in front of their friends when they realize it's a man. Because he looks really good, he looks like a woman; you couldn't tell the difference.
--Diego's sister Virginia
My heart and prayers are with Victor Diego and his family.
--@EvaLongoria
You have no right to hate anybody. It's like they say, 'Only God can judge.'
--Coko
