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K.C. Trans Woman Killed; Media Coverage Criticized

K.C. Trans Woman Killed; Media Coverage Criticized

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A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged with second-degree murder in the Christmas Eve death of a transgender woman.

Kenyan L. Jones, 26, is accused of fatally shooting Darnell D. Pearson, 31, also known as Dee Dee Pearson, The Kansas City Star reports. The paper reports that Jones said he had paid to have sex with Pearson several hours earlier, and after learning she was biologically male, obtained a gun and shot her.

Coverage of the case has upset LGBT activists. Local media have used male pronouns in referring to Pearson, leading to calls from the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, the Justice Project, and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to "respect her chosen, lived identity." Also, according to local blog Tony's Kansas City, news outlets have characterized Pearson as a prostitute only on the word of her accused killer. Read more here.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.