In June, CeCe McDonald, a 23 year old, African-American transgender fashion student, was attacked in Minneapolis while heading to a grocery store with her friends. What started with racial and gender epithets from a group of two women and a man standing outside of a bar turned even more violent after McDonald told the trio, that she wouldn’t stand for the racist and transphobic slurs. According to the Advocate, one of the women yelled back, “I’ll take you on bitch”, and broke a beer mug on CeCe’s face, slicing open her salivary gland. CeCe fought back and in the end, Dean Schmitz, a 47 year old man with a swastica tattooed on his chest bled to death after being stabbed with a pair of fabric scissors from McDonald’s purse. Although the stabbing was likely in self defense, it is not clear whether it was directly at the hands of McDonald or one of the friends who was accompanying her that evening.
McDonald, who was arrested, interrogated without council, and placed in solitary confinement facing second degree murder charges, has been described by a friend as “wise, outspoken, cheerful, and with a history of handeling predjudice with amazing grace”. Recently, the case garnered national media attention when author and activist, Kate Bornstein highlighted it during an appearance on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show.
An online community of support for McDonald and her defense has been growing. As of this post, an online petition, hosted by Change.org urging the Hennepin County Attorney, Michael Freeman, to drop the charges against McDonald has already received over 16,000 signatures. Leslie Feinberg has been drawing attention to the online call to #FreeCece through his Twitter feed and Free Cece, and Support Cece McDonald have been established by McDonald supporters to disseminate information about the case.
McDonald is set to go trial on Monday, April 30th at 9:00AM for an estimate of up to two weeks.
– Marsian is a Los Angeles-based puppet artist, chanteuse, and high art drag personality. MarsianDeLellis.com
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This just in for anyone in the MPLS area…
MEDIA ADVISORY – May 2, 2012
Contact: Katie Burgess, Executive Director, Trans Youth Support Network, transyouthsupportnetwork@gmail.com, (612) 363-7574; and Billy Navarro, Jr., MN Transgender Health Coalition, mntranspr@gmail.com, (612)823-1152
Supporters of Chrishaun McDonald Hold Press Conference After Opening Statements
Local and National Transgender Leaders Update Public on McDonald’s Case
Supporters of Chrishuan “CeCe” McDonald will hold a press conference Wednesday, May 02 at noon on the North Steps of the Hennepin County Government Building, The press conference will precede opening statements from attorneys for the defense and prosecution in McDonald’s case.
What: Press Conference
When: Wednesday, May 2, 12pm
Where: Hennepin County Government Center, North Steps
The press conference will include brief remarks from:
· Rai’vyn Cross, McDonald’s sister
· Dean Spade, Professor at Seattle University School of Law and founder of the New York-based Sylvia Rivera Law Project
· Katie Burgess, Director of Minneapolis’s Trans Youth Support Network.
Speakers will provide the latest updates on McDonald’s case and discuss the broader issues facing transgender women of color as they relate to McDonald’s case.
McDonald’s trial began Monday, April 30. Members of the CeCe McDonald Support Committee will be available for interviews following the press conference.
###
Katie Burgess
Executive Director
Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN)
P.O. Box 7625 (mailing)
3405 Chicago Avenue South (office)
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612-363-7574 cell
To learn more about TYSN, visit:
http://www.transyouthsupportnetwork.org
She took a plea deal-
http://colorlines.com/archives/2012/05/report_cece_mcdonald_takes_plea_deal_in_minneapolis_murder_case.html
It’s a total outrage.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/cece-mcdonald-minnesota-transgender-woman-manslaughter_n_1472078.html
“CeCe was briefly taken to the hospital where she received 11 stitches in her cheek. Then, while she was still suffering both physically and mentally from this traumatic incident, she was left alone in a room for three hours and then interrogated, after which she was placed into solitary confinement. She spent the next several months in jail and had to wait almost two months between her initial doctors’ visit and a much-needed follow-up appointment. During that time, her cheek swelled into an extremely painful, golfball-sized lump, making eating difficult and producing headaches and pressure on her left eye and ear. Ironically, the only gesture towards CeCe’s well-being that authorities made during her incarceration was to put her in solitary confinement “for her own protection” on two separate occasions, despite her stated desire to be housed alongside other prisoners.” “