Homophobic Homicide

 This beautiful girl was killed at 18 years old. Her name was Angie Zapata. She was described as outgoing and vibrant; she had dreams to be a cosmetologist and had aspirations to be a beauty queen. The killer was 32 years old. She met him on a cell phone social network. They hit it off and he started dating her. 

One day, he became enraged with her and beat her first with his fists, then with a fire extinguisher.

When he was getting ready to make his escape, he heard her gurgling and saw her attempting to sit up, so he smashed her head in one last time with the fire extinguisher. He then stole her car, her purse, her phone and her credit cards. He was later arrested by police when he was found inside of her stolen car. Before I continue, does this seem like a forgivable act? Does there appear to be any doubt that he wanted her dead? Does the murder of this beautiful, young girl seem deliberate?

Right now are you asking yourself, “What did she do to deserve this?” Are you asking yourself, “How could someone be so brutal and care so little for human life?” Well, the defense in this case seems to believe that there was a possibility that this teenager actually deserved the demise that she received at the brutal, sadistic, evil hands of this 32-year-old predator.

If you were to discover that Angie Zapata wore a push-up bra that day to make her appear busty when in reality she was an A-cup, would you find this degenerate any less guilty? If you were to discover that Angie Zapata had an African-American ethnic heritage and had lied to her attacker about it, would you find him less guilty if he killed her only upon his discovery of the truth? Would you feel any less indignance about this heinous injustice if she had cheated on this man? What would cause you to feel that this 18-year-old child deserved to have her life cut short by this 32 year old man?

What if she had a mole? What if she had an extra nipple? What if she was missing a leg? What if she had chlamydia? A sixth toe? A penis? Would these things make you feel as though she deserved her fate?

None of those things would change my mind either. She was a young girl, practically a child. She was born with a penis. She lived as a girl because she was a girl - regardless of whether or not her genitalia matched what was inside of her heart and mind. People can argue about the concept of skin, body parts, brains, hearts, minds, souls and everything else, but that doesn’t change the fact that an atrocity occurred. This tragedy must be recognized - and will be recognized - as heinous and unthinkable. Unbelievably, there is a legal defense known as “gay panic," a concept which relies on the belief that the fear of "gay-ness" alone can justifiably send a person into a homicidal rage. It hinges on the idea that a straight person can be literally so afraid of “the gays” that it is understandable for them to kill a gay person in self-defense. Does anyone else find this blatantly ridiculous? Can anyone else possibly see the horrendous implications in the validation of such a defense? If this is a valid defense for homicide, anyone can go kill a gay or transgender person without fear of  the full penalty of law. Where does this lunacy end?

As far as how I feel personally about this case, the type of insane, homophobic, sadistic, evil, demented, dilusional, black-hearted maniac that could so matter-of-factly terminate the life of another human being - a sweet, young, petite, feminine doll whose beauty exceeds most women who were born into their vaginas and tits, for that matter… this horrible man deserves to burn in hell for eternity. Angie Zapata was loved and will be remembered for years to come. Help her family in their pursuit to END THE HATE, and tell someone you know about her tragic death. Make sure people know that she was loved, and that her death will not go unnoticed. She will not be dismissed and she will not be ignored. TALK ABOUT IT!

Her family has created a site: www.angiezapata.com where you can read more about the hate crime statute in Colorado under which they are trying this creep; you can read more about Angie and the case and LIGHT A CANDLE for her on Facebook (there’s a link for it at the top of her site.)

There is also a Twitter feed (go to Twitter Search and then enter “#zapata” to get live coverage from the courtroom.)

One of the people twittering the courtroom coverage is Jackson, from his “Queer Subversion” site. Feel free to check that out as well; he has written a blurb specifically on this case: Queer Subversion

UPDATE: THE MURDERER HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE!! HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH A HATE CRIME AND FIRST DEGREE MURDER! HE IS SENTENCED TO LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE!!!

Photo of Angie Courtesy of Alan Dominguez on Vimeo