Milwaukee police are investigating a homicide that occurred on Wednesday, June 15 in the 2200 block of N. Teutonia Avenue at 6:30 a.m. officers arrived on the scene to find 28 year-old Brazil Johnson dead on arrival. Brazil who identified as a Black trans woman died due to a fatal gunshot injuries.
Brazil Johnson
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are under investigation. It is our hope that justice will be served and those involved in her murder will serve time for their crime.
There’s multiple stories going around and due to this being an active investigation there’s not much that we can verify at this moment.
Presently Milwaukee police continue to seek unknown suspects which is a sign that they may have persons of interest. On behalf of TransGriot and our contributors we send our love to the family and friends of Brazil. We are currently working with the family to assist in ways of honoring Brazil and seek justice for her murder.
This would make Brazil’s murder number 17 according to HRC which has reported 16 murders to date that they are aware of, the most recent on their list is Sasha Mason a trans Latina in North Carolina.
The family of Brazil has already made arrangements and will be releasing additional information soon for community members to join in support. If you’d like to send flowers (flowers must be sent by June 28th) please email Dee Dee Watters at imdeedeewatters@gmail.com for the funeral home details.
If you were in the area of Teutonia and Garfield and saw anything we encourage you to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips.
WNBA star Brittney Griner is presently in custody after being arrested after a search of her luggage.
Russian Customs Service said that Griner was in possession of cartridges that were said to contain oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a said maximum penalty of up to 19 years in prison.
An airport worker searches Griner’s bag.
Russian Federal Customs Service
Sadly in many countries drug charges are ridiculously high, while traveling to Indonesia a few years back I heard a message that was played over speakers warning travelers that the penalty of drug possession was death!
For those that don’t know or ask the question, why was she even there?
Griner has been said to be one of the best players in the WNBA and is presently listed on the 2022 roster for her present team the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA and for the last 7 summers she has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia where she earns more than $1 million per season which is more than quadruple her WNBA salary.
Although there isn’t much information to go on at this time, Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner took to social media to express her appreciation for their support of her wife and asked for privacy after Griner’s arrest.
Cherelle’s Instagram post is below
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me regarding my wife’s safe return from Russia. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life. I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely.
Thank you!”
As mentioned we don’t know much about the date she was arrested but know that her last activity on social media was a post of an image which is provided below.
Her last post was on February 5th an image of Griner and her teammates of the Phoenix Mercury
Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges said to have oil from cannabis.
Which comes with mixed details and reports on how long she could be in jail, some reports say 10 years maximum while others say 19 years maximum. We at TransGriot just want her back on US soil immediately! Especially as this war is being pushed on the folks of Ukraine and so many sanctions hitting Russia our fear is that, Puttin will try to use Brittney and two other popular US citizens that are presently in custody in Russian prisons to try and force the hands of the US in whatever way he can.
Not only are members of the LGBTQ+ community showing support for the release of Brittney Griner the WNBA made the following statement
“Brittney Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States,” the league said.
As of January 1st, 2022, Trans athletes and people with medical conditions which require hormonal treatment. This rule book update is one made by the United States Powerlifting Association which prohibits the use of any hormones in tested competitions.
It’s interesting how all of these changes are taking place in the sports arena around trans athletes! Last week we covered the news around the requirements for trans swimmers and look at this. I must point out that this update was made prior to the requirements set by NCAA but it’s all the same, they said they were going to listen to the science but I guess that’s changed.
The first rule that has language about trans athletes is rule 1.8.28:
“Transgender athletes are not eligible to compete in the drug-tested division and must compete only in the non-tested division.”
And this is rule: 1.8.19 (which is the language justifying rule 1.8.28)
“The USPA/IPL does not allow any therapeutic use exemptions. This means no lifter using any hormone, regardless of medical necessity or choice, or other banned substance (see sec. 12), is allowed to compete in the drug tested division.”
They also made a statement saying
“The USPA doesn’t make a distinction between transgender or non-transgender athletes in non-tested competitions. Everyone is welcome to compete in the USPA and will be held to the same set of rules as stated in our rule book, whether lifting as a male or female… The USPA welcomes all lifters and will always do our very best at all times to accommodate all members.”
Although we’re only in February there’s already been a victim to this rule book update and that’s Angel Flores.
Flores 22 years old trans weightlifting competitor is the USAPL Gold medal winner in the MX Division.
Note the MX Division was created by the USAPL, which allows athletes of different gender identities to compete.
Flores took to social media and posted a video on her instagram (link)
Saying “This was going to be my very first meet alongside my cisgender peers.” Please watch the video to hear fully what she said.
You see all we’re wanting as trans folx and especially trans athletes is to compete alongside our CIS peers!
USPA Texas reached out personally to Angel and invited her to compete as a guest lifter.
And Flores did her thang!
Squat: 189.6 kg (418 lbs)
Bench Press: 109.7 kg (242p lbs)
Deadlift: 199.5 kg (440 lbs)
Total: 499 kg (1,100 lbs)
Congratulations to Angel although she couldn’t compete against her CIS peers she stilled killed it and represented for the trans community! Angel you’re an inspiration and have so much ahead of you so keep being you!
Please follow and support Angel here’s her Linktree
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Texas is ranked No. 2 in the nation in reported sex trafficking cases. In 2020, the state Department of Public Safety reported that approximately 1.8 million online commercial sex ads were posted and over 300,000 were suspected to be children.
As of Sept. 1, due to recent changes approved under HB 2795 makes Texas the first to make solicitation of prostitution a felony! According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Texas is ranked No. 2 in the nation in reported sex trafficking cases.
During a press conference with a large police presence, elected officials and local media gathered off the track in front of one of the multiple orange signs posted all up and down Bissonnet.
Council member Pollard said the problem was brought to his attention several months ago in a letter from a young girl who attends school in the area.
“She said it bothered her to leave school and see prostitutes walking up and down the street,” said Pollard. “She questioned if I cared about the area. That letter really touched me and I vowed to my staff that we make this issue a priority.” Looks like he did just that! He joined forces with other elected officials, law enforcement and area businesses that had been affected by the prostitution in the area.
Council member Pollard said that in order to make an impact we gotta hit the money! Charge the Johns and they’ll stop.
Although the felony charges aren’t aimed towards the sexworkers it still affects them in multiple ways as for many sexworkers, sexwork is for survival! The “plan” has multiple components like a larger police presence, possible felony charges for the John’s, cameras recording activity but most importantly the lowered activity from the John’s.
We reached out to a Black trans woman that works in the area to see how it’s impacted her making money. “I don’t think it changed much for me, I just moved to another track and now the dates call me instead of riding around.”
Although I can see how this bill HB 2795 will possibly slow down sex trafficking in the area I totally see how it will make life a lot harder for a sexworker that works the Bissonnet track. Just know that if charged with the felony it could be punishable of up to two years in jail.
What’s most important is that we take a moment to honor the loss of a community member who sadly her incident with this fool shined light on who he was and what he’s capable of doing!
RIH Muhlaysia Booker
Muhlaysia Booker
It hasn’t even made 2 years since his conviction and this fool is now on trial for murdering a Black CIS woman 🤦🏽♀️.
“He wouldn’t hurt anyone and he only did it because he was provoked!” Just one of the things that were said about this waste of DNA by Black folx following the brutal attack on Muhlaysia Booker back in April of 2019.
One month following the attack Muhlaysia was found shot to death on a street in Far East Dallas. Although it wasn’t Thomas who murdered her, the suspect in that case is Kendrell Lyles. Lyles is being charged with multiple murders including the murder of Chynal Lindsey.
Edward Thomas was charged with misdemeanor assault for that attack on Muhlaysia and was only sentenced to 300 days in custody by a jury that didn’t think he deserved to get the felony charge unfortunately.
The case brought a large amount of hate and transphobic attacks to many of Muhlaysia’s friends and chosen family, specifically a local radio show called Trans-Fusion which each of the ladies on the show knew Muhlaysia. The hate continued on to her immediate family, loved ones and of Muhlaysia as she and community members advocated for #JusticeForMuhlaysia. Sadly many of our CIS brothers and sisters forget that this is nothing new and that Black men have been murdering Black women for decades just the same as Black trans women.
Some of Thomas’s supporters said ridiculous things like “he was fighting like a man because she was one” referring to Muhlaysia Booker as a man or that “nothing was wrong they was both men” . So much so that his attorney Andrew Wilkerson, was arrested for disrupting the court, making side bar comments, arguing with the court and refusing to abide by the Courtroom decorum rules. Which was simply to refer to Muhlaysia using female pronouns.
Oh how I’d love to see their faces now!
On this weeks show we will invite a special guest on from Trans-Fusion
Back to the present moment, the report says that in the early hours of Sept. 20, police responded to a call of a shooting at the Williams Chicken on the 2800 block of East Ledbetter found LaShanda Wilson 41 dead in the parking lot behind the restaurant with a single-gunshot wound to the chest.
Security video shows Thomas handing one of the women a stun gun to use on Wilson.
The arrest affidavit says that after hearing her friend scream for help, Wilson pulled out a handgun and may have fired twice. At that point, according to the affidavit, Thomas got a gun from a nearby car and shot Wilson with one bullet hitting her in the chest.
Side note while this is going on Thomas was out on a $10,000 bond for a case he picked up back in April for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon!
Thomas showed his true colors when he attacked Muhlaysia Booker and looking at his behavior I’m sure Muhlaysia wasn’t the first to encounter an attack from the 6’7 Edward Thomas.
Sadly it’s a reality that we Trans folx know far too well, that if he hits on a CIS woman he’ll possibly hit us too. So to those that were defending Thomas after the attack on Muhlaysia Booker and painting him to a withstanding Black man in community pick your jaw up and before you say one word, allow me to say 3, SHUT UP FOOLS!
We’ll be following this trial and hoping for justice for the young lady LaShanda Wilson that was murdered.
LaShanda Wilson
Although it’s not justice for Muhlaysia we at TransGriot hope it’s an eye opener for folx that followed the case and supported him but most importantly he is taken off the streets and won’t hurt, harm or murder anyone else’s daughter or child.
“NO LIVES LEFT BEHIND” was this years National Trans Visibility March purpose and drive. October 9, 2021 was the 3rd Annual March for Trans Visibility, held in Orlando Florida with satellite cities in New York, Sacramento, Atlanta, & Chicago.
The march kicked off with a rally & prayer lead by host Rev. Carmarion Anderson-Harvey. One Orlando Alliance Executive Director, Josh Bell welcomed us to Lake Eola, Orlando FL by chanting LOVE from the stage!
We were able to reflect on the past march from 2019 with clips shown on the big screen and we chanted “Trans POWER”. We also took a moment to mourn those that have been murdered this year, that we know of.
Unfortunately last year we were virtual due to COVID-19. But that didn’t put a damper on our spirit as we came back this year stronger. We as a community gathered as an army on a mission to march for visibility and to see change. When the march started we stepped into the street and demanded our inclusion, diversity, and equity that is due to us as human beings.
As I marched in the lead with my black trans siblings, I felt empowered and a sense of purpose that our voices were heard. We took up space along the route around the park & passed through areas where people were dining outside and chanting with us. Others participated in cheering us on from the sidelines with signs and encouraging words. Not once did we encounter any anti-trans terfs or hate.
Although the march was short less than an hour walk around the park, we completed our mission. The world saw us from New York, to California! We stood up & raised our voices to face another day! Together we showed the world that our lives matter & the T will not be silent! We marched for “OUR PEOPLE OUR PURPOSE”.
We had a safe and fun event as we opened the door for all the new advocates & activists to join the movement for change. Next year we will be in California, & we need all hands on deck as stated by Marissa Miller the organizer of the NTVM.
