Gwen Araujo The Lifetime True Story
In Memory of Gwen Amber Rose AraujoFebruary 24, 1985 to October 4, 2002 Murdered at age 17
Imagine feeling like you're trapped in the wrong body, that there's been some sort of mistake — that you're supposed to be a girl instead of a boy. How would you tell your family and friends that you wanted to change genders? Would you bring it up with someone you had a crush on? And what would you do when society not only refused to accept the new you, but was violent toward you? Well, Eddie Araujo didn't know the answers, but he did know he was supposed to be female, so he began to dress as a girl and changed his name to Gwen.
You won't believe what Gwen endured just to live her life as who she was and feel normal. It's a shocking true story about courage and tolerance, and is sure to stay with you long after the credits roll.
Directed by: Agnieszka Holland Written by: Shelley Evans
This Gender Identity Disorder is common and so misunderstood and even less tolerated. Please see the two links below. One is of the actual Gwen and her mother and the other is an article out of Rolling Stone magazine. Post your comments PLEASE!
http://www.jaimesite.homestead.com/GwenAraujo.html
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6959159/the_murder_of_a_boy_named_gwen/
The true story and Lifetime movie touched me and I plan to volunteer in the community to help young people and give them the guidance and support they need. I hope I can help and that this society will become a little less ignorant! Gwen's murder was a HATE crime regardless of what the court said!!
“A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story”
Replays:
June 25, Sunday, 9:00 pm et/pt and again on June 30, Friday, 9:00 pm et/pt
Resources
The following organizations are working to end discrimination and promote tolerance in schools and communities nationwide:
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Horizons Foundation
National Center for Transgender Equality
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
Transgender Law Center
YWCA
Locally we are very lucky to have: ALSO
posted by Cruz @ 11:07 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Lets just pray that something like that will never happen again
Yes like many others i have watched the life time Movie yesterday and i can't telll in words how deeply it touched me.Not only because i feelt for this girl and the family also because I HAVE a friend who is a mom and she going to quite the same with her 8 yr old son.Going to Doctors and counceling trying to protect your child from the cruel harm from other kids.Not even to talk about the trouble in school or in church cause not everybody understands why this boy is diffrent,why he doest like or do "normal" boy things" I think we all have to remember there are many others in the same position ! So just please knowlege your self and try to make this world a better place.We all can do something to prevent another great Loss . I can't tell you how much i cry last night and i can't even imagen how this Mom feels everyday facing that some ignorent adaults took the life from her child away.Lets just pray that something like this wont happen again to another family and bless that moms heart for fighting for more rights for uni gender kids! And please keep my friend and her child in prayers to get through what they are going through.
Being a transsexual woman my self, I have felt what Gwen has gone through as do the majority of transsexual women. Society in general is not accepting of the transgender community and it is a shame that many make it a joke or an issue.
I was recently outed by former co-worker at a former place of employment and how they found out is beyond me. What transpired was a sexually harassing message to me from someone at that place of employment. I have even been yelled at in public and I am fairly passable. That situation was scary to say the least. It boils down to Hate or ignorance.
I feel for Gwen and all others who have lost there lives to hate crimes such as the one committed against her. Gwen was not the first, nor will she be the last. I have a friend who's child is transsexual and I fear for both of them. For the young lady, who is ignorant to the world and for her mother who is trying so hard to shelter her and protect her just as Gwen's mother tried to do.
It is to bad that our government and our society are not accepting of the transgender community. We are battling to get laws and companies to change their policies on us. In many ways we are the next minority, We did not chose to be this way in life, we were born this way in life, just like someone is born with a cleft pallet, or MS, or CP, or any other biological issue. Until the time comes that our Government decides to in act laws that protect us and insurance companies accept the fact that this is not a choice but something we were born with.
Gwen did not ask to be killed and her mother and relatives did not ask to lose her. She was killed by simple hate even if she did not choose to let people know about her. It is her choice to live stealth as it is for many of us. Some of us do stand up on the soap box and speak our mind, as that is the only way we can get our voices heard and laws changed. With out Martin Luther King this country may not have ever been accepting of those other than white. And with out stories like Gwen's people will not get educated about us.
The only thing I can say Gwen's family should have done, would have been move to another town and have her go to a new school, but even that may not have solved the issue of hate or prevented her from being brutally killed.
If you feel for Gwen and all the others who have been killed, then look in your area for organizations that support the GLBT (Gay Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) community and find out what you can do to help.
Other movies based on true stories are
Boy's don't cry
Soldier's Secret's
Until then Rock On and Take Hold of the Flame
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