A 16 year old transgendered teen, was murdered while attending his first straight party dressed as a girl, hit the jump for detail!
Dwayne Jones, a transgendered teen that underwent constant discrimination through out his life, began with the constant teasing in high school which resulted in him dropping out. Later continued throughout his household where he was kicked out and alienated by his father by the age of 14. His father went as far as pushing those in the community he lived in to push him out of the neighborhood.
The teen confided to a friend that he would be attending a “straight party” dressed as a girl for the first time ever, this is when the abuse towards the teenager began. The 16 year old teen died after being beaten, stabbed, shot and run over by a car during the party.
The altercation occurred when Dwayne was stopped on a dimly lit street by party goers as he walked towards the event. The party goers questioned Dwayne asking if he was male or female. After a man put a lighter to the shoes of Dwayne insisting that his feet were too big to be a female, and others joining in stating that dwayne was not a girl, Dwayne responded. He insisted he was a girl repeatedly, when a man approached behind him snapping his bra causing for Dwayne to run. He was not fast enough to escape the prejudice mob following him, causing in his vicious death.
Anti-gay sentiments are nothing new surrounding the island of Jamaica.
“Advocates say much of the homophobia is fueled by a nearly 150-year-old anti-sodomy law that bans anal sex as well as by dancehall reggae performers who flaunt anti-gay themes. The island’s main gay rights group estimated that two homosexual men were killed for their sexual orientation last year, and 36 were the victims of mob violence”
After the body of Dwayne Jones had been found his father from the Montego Bay slums of North Gully, declined to talk about the life or death of his son, and his family did not even claim the teens body, according to a friend of the murdered victim.
Dwayne’s roommates whom were also transgendered and abused that night at the party described the young victim in a positive light:
“They remembered him as a spirited boy with a contagious laugh who dreamt of becoming a performer like Lady Gaga. He was also a street-smart hustler who resorted to sleeping in the bushes or on beaches when he became homeless. He won a local dancing competition during his time on the streets and was affectionately nicknamed “Gully Queen.”
** Check out the gallery Above for a picture of the victim**
Via USAToday
