WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.000 A quick PSA before we get started. We came back from hiatus just in 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:08.560 time for media COVID, and one of my very fun COVID symptoms has been 3 00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:13.800 an excruciating headache whenever I look at a computer, for example, for a 4 00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:18.839 long time. So we have a backslog of episodes to edit, and Spooky 5 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:24.480 Season might very well be going into November at this point. I am trying 6 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:30.440 my absolute best to get rid of this backlog, but it has been very 7 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:34.759 difficult. At this point, I'm just uploading these on the day that I 8 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:40.439 am able to get them finished because I'm not able to edit as quickly as 9 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:46.119 I was able to before. So please enable notifications on whatever platform of your 10 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:49.880 choice. Keep with us on social media. All the links are in our 11 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.799 link tree, and without further ado, here is the next installment of our 12 00:00:53.840 --> 00:01:03.000 Pride series for in the Place where mysteries and the Missing Me We're Conspiracies lurk 13 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:12.319 around every corner. Welcome to the Deep Dark Truth. This episode contains graphic 14 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:18.000 or explicit content that may be disturbing, violent, or sexual in nature. 15 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:23.640 Listener discretion is advised. Welcome back to the Deep Dark Truth. I'm Mom 16 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:29.319 True and I'm Mikey and today we are going to be discussing missing person Sequoia 17 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:34.239 Cooper as part of our Pride series, and also having a larger conversation about 18 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:38.879 how inaccessible information can be when it comes to crime cases in the trans community, 19 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:42.560 but most especially trans women of color such as Sequoia. We've attempted in 20 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:47.760 the past to cover other murdered and missing trans people of color and found it 21 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:52.319 to be extremely difficult, which is still the case. But today we're going 22 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:55.120 to be trying our best to give you all of the information we've been able 23 00:01:55.159 --> 00:01:59.959 to gather on Sequoia, and also have a conversation about other missing and murder 24 00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:04.439 trans women, especially those that have happened thus far in twenty twenty two. 25 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.879 With that said, Chip, how about you get us started. So. 26 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:13.919 Sekoia Cooper is a thirty three year old woman born August ninth, nineteen eighty 27 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:16.560 eight. She was last seen on August thirty first, twenty twenty one, 28 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:21.039 in Columbus, Ohio, when she left to go to the store to get 29 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:24.479 water around eleven thirty at night. Her partner, who will talk more about 30 00:02:24.520 --> 00:02:28.599 in a moment, said that she had received a text shortly before she left 31 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.039 but we don't know the contents of that text, whether the police do or 32 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:36.639 not, at least not available to the public. She's about fifty five one 33 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:40.400 hundred forty five pounds, brown eyes, dark brown hair in lemonade braids swept 34 00:02:40.439 --> 00:02:44.680 to the side. She was last seen wearing a black and white summer dress 35 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:47.879 and black and white baby fat sandals. She's got two tattoos, one on 36 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:53.159 each thigh. One says go get that money ninety being dollar sign and the 37 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:58.240 other says Sekoia. She was last seen at either the area around Howie Road 38 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:05.039 and Weldon Avenue, North Columbus, or possibly East Webber Road and Cleveland Avenue 39 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:08.240 inter Black twenty nine Ford Fusion. We'll get to that in a second. 40 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:13.479 We think that the East Webber Cleveland Avenue was based on a tip and she 41 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:16.439 was actually last seen in the North Columbus area. She was seen in her 42 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:22.759 Ford Fusion, which was recovered later in October with stone license plate or her 43 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:25.840 original license plate is still out there, so in case this is information that 44 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:30.639 it's helpful for someone if anyone should find such a license plate or something. 45 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:36.680 Her original plate is an Ohio plate golf Juliet Papa nine three zero three, 46 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:42.719 and of course that license plate would now be considered evidence and could possibly lead 47 00:03:42.759 --> 00:03:46.840 to the person that was last seen in her car. Her partner, Richard 48 00:03:46.840 --> 00:03:50.000 Harris, said late last year that Cooper failed to return to her home near 49 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:53.120 Crimeans Park after she left to buy bottled water at a nearby store. Though 50 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.599 he called herself phone repeatedly, he said it appeared to be turned off and 51 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:01.599 that it was extremely out of character for her. Her adopted mother, Louianne 52 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:05.680 Cooper, also contributed to how out of character it was and spoke about how 53 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:10.680 Sequoia would call her every day before going to work, but she has not 54 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:15.560 heard from her since her disappearance. He also received tips of sightings and a 55 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:18.800 nearby gas station, but those tips didn't pan out, and that is the 56 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:27.040 tip that we believe led to the East Webber and Cleveland Avenue areas hit. 57 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:31.360 At some point that is unclear, he started receiving text messages with requests for 58 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:36.680 ransom seven thousand to get her back or five hundred dollars just to speak to 59 00:04:36.720 --> 00:04:42.120 her, which he said he turned over to the Columbus Missing Persons Detectives. 60 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.560 Here's a quote from an article by the Columbus Dispatch police brushed them off like 61 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:51.600 it was a prank unquote. He also acknowledged that quote there is some sick 62 00:04:51.680 --> 00:04:59.720 people in the world. Another quote from our Blackgirls dot Com, which honestly, 63 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:02.879 our Blackgirls dot Com had the most information that we were able to find 64 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:10.199 in one continuous place about Sequoia's disappearance like by far, like not comparable. 65 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:13.639 They're they're doing a lot of work. It's clear. Quote. I mean, 66 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:15.680 you see this every day on the TV and on the milk cartons, 67 00:05:15.720 --> 00:05:20.560 but you never really realize the depths of this because there ain't never no closure 68 00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:25.319 until you find something. This is some of the worst shit that you could 69 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:30.319 possibly go through. Sergeant Scott Leroy of the Missing Person's Unit said, quote, 70 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:32.920 we believe that this missing person may be the victim of fall play, 71 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:38.360 and we believe that there is a possibility that someone out there needs that little 72 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:43.399 bit of umph when you see this family that's suffering, to come forward and 73 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:47.439 give us the information that we need. Unquote. Sequoia's biological brother, James 74 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:51.759 Carswell, who resides in Georgia but was in Columbus to help the search effort, 75 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.839 created a gofund me, which Mikey is going to tell you about so 76 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:01.199 The gofund me mentions that outside help is appreciated, that be contributions, volunteering, 77 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:05.240 or information. Her family believes that this is not a runaway situation. 78 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:10.879 In addition to the police suspecting foul play, her brother in this gofund me 79 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:15.639 post details her dedication to her job as a GM at Popeyees in North Columbus, 80 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:18.319 as well as her two dogs. The gofund me also set to assist 81 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:21.959 with taking care of her animals and the search. This post also mentions, 82 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:26.000 unfortunately, our family has to prepare for the worst. Now that her car 83 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:30.560 was located last October, forensic evidence is starting to show she was a victim 84 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.519 of foul play. This is the first mention of the forensic evidence that we 85 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:38.800 saw in our research, aside from the circumstantial conclusions you can draw from her 86 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:44.680 car being found with a stolen plate. So compared to episodes like our Lauren's 87 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:49.519 Spear episode for example, or our Gabby Petito episodes, this is pretty much 88 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:55.360 the end of the amount of information that we have, and we've been recording 89 00:06:55.480 --> 00:06:59.800 for less than ten minutes. Yeah, and the thing is, this is 90 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:03.959 so much more information than we could find on any other missing or murdered trans 91 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:09.079 women of color. This is like blowing them out of the water. Yeah, 92 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:14.560 it's just the most depressing because we've tried to make this this episode many 93 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:18.920 times. But before we kind of move on to that discussion portion and talk 94 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:23.240 a little bit more about not only this case, but other cases we've tried 95 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:29.040 to cover other missing and murdered trans women of color, we do want to 96 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.399 say that the Columbus Division of Police can be reached at six one four six 97 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:38.920 four five four five four five, the Columbus Missing Person's Unit can be reached 98 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:44.839 at six one four six four five two three five eight, and the agency 99 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:51.240 case number is two one zero six five nine one four three. So I 100 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:59.319 found really weird about this case is that she was so known and so interactive. 101 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:03.319 She was well known and had family and had friends and hand coal workers, 102 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:11.199 and nobody knows or saw anything. Yeah. Actually, the reason that 103 00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:15.800 I found out about this to begin with, I think it was Columbus Pride 104 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:20.800 had posted basically that she hadn't been found yet, trying to raise awareness, 105 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:26.399 and I was like, Okay, I haven't heard of her. Let's just 106 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:31.320 try again. Let's just try. We have so many docs that exist just 107 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:37.000 for if we find new information or new information comes out on a case, 108 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:41.679 episodes that can't be episodes yet because not only a lot of times is there 109 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:46.519 are not enough information. But I don't want to personally contribute I know neither 110 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:52.120 of you do either to misinformation. So sometimes all there is is rumors and 111 00:08:52.279 --> 00:08:58.759 nothing's been substantiated, And I don't feel comfortable if there's not at least two 112 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:03.879 sources saying relatively the same thing. I don't feel comfortable putting any of that 113 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:09.120 out into the world because what happens is that when people do hopefully take an 114 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:13.720 interest in the case and start asking questions and start raising awareness, they're raising 115 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:18.399 awareness and looking in the wrong places, and they're directing other people to look 116 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:22.120 in the wrong places, and it just ends up not being helpful at all. 117 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:28.679 I also think it's interesting to mention that Sequoia went missing about a week 118 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.919 ish before Gabby Petito went missing. It might have been two weeks, but 119 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:37.240 it was relatively in the same time period, two weeks, I think, 120 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:41.919 which obviously we're glad that Gabby's body was able to be recovered and that her 121 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:46.240 family was able to find out what happened to her. This isn't to say 122 00:09:46.279 --> 00:09:52.080 that we don't want all missing or murdered people to be able to be brought 123 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.720 to justice. In a weird way, van life itself has become such a 124 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:01.879 big thing in the last five years. Also the domestic violence, where there 125 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:05.840 was an actual person that people could look at and say we think that they 126 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:09.759 did it. That gets people more in an uproar, And those two things 127 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:16.639 together I think helped push Gabby's case to the forefront because it's like, here 128 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.639 are these here's this niche thing that is like instagram worthy, and even a 129 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:26.399 lot of the articles they would say like rising Instagram star. I mean, 130 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:31.519 they had a decent amount of followers, but not really that many before Nushi 131 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:37.200 was missing and people started following to look at every detail of their Instagram, 132 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:43.279 look at every single account that they had across different social media like dirt and 133 00:10:43.320 --> 00:10:46.519 other things. Yeah, it's sad that, like you have to have a 134 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:52.600 hook to get your case out there. Supporting and protecting trends and people of 135 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:56.919 color is niche and is cool. It is instagram worthy, and that's the 136 00:10:58.039 --> 00:11:05.480 thing. But there's no equality done behind the scenes. There's no type of 137 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:11.000 investigation and time spent and leads followed up and phone calls made. And it's 138 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:18.120 also interesting in that this case with Cequoia, it looks like it's probably not 139 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:22.679 trans motivated. It's probably it doesn't seem like it's like right, that's sort 140 00:11:22.720 --> 00:11:28.320 of it's not a hate crime. It's just a regular murder or regular kidnapping, 141 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.440 which is also speaks to the fact that we have more information than we 142 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:39.840 normally do. It wasn't just attack we know was a theft well yeah and 143 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:46.440 found so yeah, and so that obviously we can't know exactly their motivations, 144 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:50.799 but thus far, with the information that we know, it feels like the 145 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:58.320 motivation was that or or carjacking or robbery or wrong place, wrong time type 146 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:03.240 of situation as opposed to just walked out of the queer bar or all of 147 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:07.240 the above it and rape and murder too. Oh yeah, I mean it 148 00:12:07.320 --> 00:12:13.480 could be yeah, And that's why it's sad that we don't know. More 149 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:18.000 so, in regards to news coverage and coverage that we've tried to find, 150 00:12:18.120 --> 00:12:24.679 I do want to talk a little bit about an article the Advocate released, 151 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:28.960 and that this article is actually I think a month and a half old Ish 152 00:12:30.200 --> 00:12:33.720 by Trudy King, and literally the title of the article was just here are 153 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:39.440 the Transamericans killed in twenty twenty two so far. So it mentions that at 154 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:48.559 least fifty seven trans people died last year as the result of violence, some 155 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:52.759 of them were domestic violent situations. But also that is a sort of the 156 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:58.000 black what do they call it, the black board of crime statistics? Is 157 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:01.039 it probably is a lot more than that, but those are the only ones 158 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:05.240 that got reported to the police the way that they got categorized. Yeah, 159 00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:13.519 so at least fifty seven trans people died last year as a victim in some 160 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:20.879 type of violent crime. And of course there's many other missing trans people that 161 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:26.200 we don't know their status of. And also these are the ones that died 162 00:13:26.279 --> 00:13:31.519 as a result of this specific type of violence. Some people might not be 163 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.399 out. There's all types of things that can excuse statistics, but I just 164 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:43.080 want to talk about some examples. Amari Liege, twenty one, died in 165 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:48.679 Pittsburgh on January first, kicked off the year she was shot. She was 166 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:54.279 one of a half dozen trans people of color that died in that very specific 167 00:13:54.360 --> 00:14:00.600 area in the last year, and that's that's almost word for word wreckt quote 168 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:07.399 from The Advocate While Princess she was found shot in Florida. Matthew Spanponado, 169 00:14:07.919 --> 00:14:11.200 a twenty one year old transmant, was hit and killed in a hit and 170 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.279 run car crash. Naomi Skinner was fatally shot in Highland Park, Michigan. 171 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:22.120 Her boyfriend was charged with second degree murder. There are some that are immediately 172 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:28.840 there is a suspect, they are domestic, and therefore they move relatively quickly. 173 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:33.919 But that is not the typical case. But in some cases that's why 174 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:37.519 you don't hear about them. Cyprus Ramos, twenty one, was found dead 175 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:45.960 in Lubbock, Texas, and a storage unit. Paloma Vasquez was found shot 176 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:50.600 to death in Houston, Tatiana LaBelle was found dead March eighteenth. She was 177 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:56.639 put into a trash can after being beaten to death in Chicago. Catherine new 178 00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:03.159 House was fatally shot by her own father in Georgia. Kesha Webster was found 179 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:07.679 dead in Jackson, Mississippi. Mia Love Parker was found shot in Chester, 180 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:15.600 Pennsylvania. Fern Feather was found stabbed to death in Morristown, Vermont. Ariana 181 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:20.879 Mitchell was found shot to death at a party in Hampton, Virginia. Ray 182 00:15:20.039 --> 00:15:26.440 Muscat was found shot to death in Oakland County, Michigan. Nidra Sequence Morris 183 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:33.360 was found dead in Opaalaca, Florida. Shenalika Yella Dior Hemingway was murdered in 184 00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:39.240 Albany, and the police have not disclosed the manner of death. Those are 185 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:46.159 just one liners about trans people that have been murdered this year, and in 186 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:50.600 most of the cases there is one or two lines about who they were as 187 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:56.840 a person, And the only reason that we're not including them is because just 188 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:02.720 quoting two sentences for for each of them would just be us reading you this 189 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:07.320 article, which we of course have linked in our sources. So in that 190 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:14.960 case, we have even a trusted news source such as The Advocate, which 191 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:23.799 is the biggest news source concerning lgbtqia A plus people, and even they don't 192 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:30.240 have enough information to do more than a paragraph. In a lot of these 193 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:37.240 cases, with their press badges, their resources, their sources, they're staffing 194 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:44.360 even spaces that are supposed to be quote unquote gay friendly or quote unquote lesbian 195 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:49.799 friendly, that does not mean that they're trans friendly. Yeah, yea. 196 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:56.720 Even within our own communities, our own spaces. It is the job of 197 00:16:57.000 --> 00:17:04.680 everyone in that community, no matter what their descriptor orientation or gender is, 198 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:14.359 to be advocating not only for inclusion, but also the fact that there isn't 199 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:18.039 the amount of inclusion that there should be is part of the reason we're not 200 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:23.480 hearing these stories. You would think that other queer people would want to read 201 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:30.960 and raise awareness and rise up in the face of people being murdered and going 202 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:36.720 missing that are within that community. But there is such a disconnect for a 203 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:40.559 lot of reasons. But one of the reasons, in my opinion, is 204 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:45.039 that once gay marriage was legalized, some people just felt like, I don't 205 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:48.920 want to fight anymore. I don't want to be fighting for anything anymore. 206 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.720 I want to be done. I fought for this thing for decades of my 207 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:59.319 life. Before that, I was fighting awareness for AIDS because people were dying 208 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:04.559 for that. I was just fighting to live. And so it's like, 209 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:08.920 I want to be done now. I don't want to And that's just really 210 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.759 it's not an excuse because trans women of color were at the forefront. Yeah, 211 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:22.839 it's it's completely it's completely backwards, and that the t made it made 212 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:32.279 it a safe country for the L and the G and G have no interest 213 00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:37.920 now when it's the most needed for the T to be safe. And even 214 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:45.279 the B that they completely don't treat equally and that they disinclude when they're preaching 215 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:52.960 inclusion. It's so backwards. I don't understand it, the inclusion aspect. 216 00:18:52.839 --> 00:19:00.359 It feels this is just my perspective, and Chip can talk about his perspective. 217 00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:04.960 It's clicky as far, and that's really the only way to describe it. 218 00:19:06.119 --> 00:19:11.319 It's almost like creating its own hierarchy. The sense of pride makes you 219 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:15.559 feel loved and included and whatever. We're all one, we're all the same. 220 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.519 And people argue, well, orientation is different than gender, and it's 221 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:26.039 like, yeah, you can say that now. But with our modern descriptors 222 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.880 and how we label things and how far psychology has come, and what we 223 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:37.839 understand about trans people and intersects people and blah blah blah, but nobody cared 224 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:45.000 during the Stonewall riot if the people that were fighting were trans, Like, 225 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:52.119 you can't say that. People that were pillars of a community and our entire 226 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:59.440 community is owed to them. The backbreaking work done by the transforming a color 227 00:19:59.480 --> 00:20:04.920 in the beginning and now, yeah, should be discluded because your thing isn't 228 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:11.920 exactly like my thing. They're they're not quite the same enough, like no 229 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:17.799 bullshit, And there's a sort of like divide in the queer community where you've 230 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:22.680 got there's a lot of assimilationist idea, like your classical as it were, 231 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:26.000 whites, this gay man, wait, yes, this lesbian are looking I'm 232 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:30.279 just like one of you straight people. Just let me be a straight person, 233 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:33.640 but don't stop being mean. Whereas you've got the rest of the community 234 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:38.160 where it's like, no, we're not just like that. Let's be radical 235 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:41.799 and accept who we actually are and not just to play by their rules. 236 00:20:42.359 --> 00:20:47.119 I think that that's like an old school form of activism. That's what it 237 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:48.759 was. It was like, wait, we're just like you because we want 238 00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:53.759 to get married, because we want to adopt children. But the community in 239 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:59.920 and of itself, just by being part of it, it makes you differ. 240 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:04.119 You are different. The inclusionary way that they wanted to look at it, 241 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:08.640 it was trying to be like, we're not that different, versus accepting 242 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:15.920 the things that are, when in reality, the LGBT community is overwhelmingly not 243 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:21.359 that are not families that have children. They're polyamorous, they're monogamous, they're 244 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:26.400 open, They're the overwhelming majority are not that nuclear family. The asexuals and 245 00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:32.720 the romantics are also getting the assimilation never made sense. The thing you have 246 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:38.519 to remember, though, too, is that the largest percentage of the community 247 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:47.119 are by women, and that is where the statistics kind of gets skewed. 248 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:51.599 But you don't think of by women when you think of the community, because 249 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:55.960 it's not the face of the community. It's not the representation of the community. 250 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:00.319 It's not me. It has a voice. Two gay guy, Yeah, 251 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:07.119 yeah, and they're they're one of the minority completely gay men. Book 252 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:11.599 that Stonewall movie where they like invented a gay man. Yeah you know why 253 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:18.119 I did that? Yeah? No, absolutely one. Yeah, it is 254 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:22.599 weird. In the Gallop News consensus or whatever, this year, seven point 255 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:30.799 one percent of America identifies as LGBT. So Forbes says that in twenty twenty 256 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:37.920 one, three hundred and seventy five transgender people were killed. It does not 257 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:44.359 specify all of the different ways, but one in four of those murdered were 258 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:48.599 killed in their own home, so by someone they know or by someone that 259 00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:53.279 specifically targeted them knowing where they live. Nine tenths of those, ninety six 260 00:22:53.359 --> 00:23:00.559 percent were trans women specifically, ye half of those a little over half of 261 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:06.839 those were murdered sex workers. Yeah, there's another community that gets start under 262 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:11.440 us. Oh my god, and most of them, but it does not 263 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:18.680 site the statistic were black or migrant transwomen of color, so horrifying statistics that 264 00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:22.839 isn't And there's conversations happening, But those conversations are a lot like this conversation 265 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:29.319 we're having now. It's an overarching this is what's happening in this community. 266 00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:37.240 Wow, this is awful. Instead of these are the very specific places where 267 00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:44.000 there's not a much groundwork laid in these cases, where police departments aren't doing 268 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:49.440 enough, or people are specifically being targeted for hate crimes in these general areas, 269 00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:55.000 and these conversations are happening, you know, exactly like this in this 270 00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:57.279 tiny, little queer community, the three of us talking on our podcast, 271 00:23:57.640 --> 00:24:03.240 not on any sort of national level or state level or anything. You know, 272 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:07.000 if Gabby Petito hadn't happened at the same time as Sekoia Cooper, Sakoia 273 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:11.599 Cooper's story still not would have picked up any real hype, you know, 274 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.640 maybe it could have. I would like it if it had. That's allusible, 275 00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:21.400 but realistically, statistically, and again I just have to call back to 276 00:24:21.559 --> 00:24:27.400 what Chips said. It's very interesting that she wasn't abducted or taken or killed 277 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:36.599 or anything at a place that was especially queer or especially making her a target. 278 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:40.519 It's not overtly a hate crime. Do you think that would have affected 279 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:44.920 them any more information coming forward though, I think it would have, but 280 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.160 it would have been from queer people that were outside that bar smoking, or 281 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:52.680 queer people that were going to or from the bar. It would have been 282 00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:56.880 tips from within the community. I don't think it would have been tips from 283 00:24:56.559 --> 00:25:02.079 neighbors. I think it could have affected because more people would have been around 284 00:25:02.279 --> 00:25:06.400 in a congested space to potentially see someone. But even then, how many 285 00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:15.839 were murdered in their homes. This conversation has definitely devolved, But the problem 286 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:21.480 is that there's so much nuance because there's people outside of the community. How 287 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:30.680 publicity gets cases more attention versus what's happening inside the community, and why cases 288 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:36.160 aren't getting that much attention even though they should be getting the attention. Everything 289 00:25:36.240 --> 00:25:40.039 would make you think, here all these people talk about the homosexual agenda. 290 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:45.119 You'd think that we're a forg hive mind, that we all have singular purposes, 291 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:49.200 that we're all have the same goals. But that's just not how it 292 00:25:49.400 --> 00:25:56.440 is. We can't even all get behind to share an Advocate post about a 293 00:25:56.599 --> 00:26:03.920 missing transwoman. Why is that? I don't want to be scared of going 294 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:07.599 back down the ladder of society, and therefore I'm choosing not to involve myself 295 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:14.400 actively, and in the case of some allies, I think it's just willful 296 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:18.640 ignorance. Period. You have to imagine, you know, me on Facebook 297 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:22.920 and being really connected in the queer community here and then getting posts in the 298 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:26.079 Advocate and speaking out the way that it did in multiple posts. Do you 299 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:30.920 want to be friends? I've lost from that, not friends, not friends 300 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:36.839 zero, not friends first and foremost. But that's but that's it. It's 301 00:26:36.920 --> 00:26:41.559 some of that is that fear, and that's coming from inside our own community, 302 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:48.319 Like how dare you speak up against a gay camp not allowing trans people 303 00:26:48.119 --> 00:26:56.279 in their camp? Like how we could be here another three hours. We're 304 00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:59.839 not going to be here another three hours. But we did want to put 305 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:07.880 together something we felt really responsible and highlighting some of these cases and kind of 306 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:12.799 explaining why we're not covering them until next time. This has been the deep dark truth