by Tashabay

Created on: August 28, 2008   Last Updated: January 19, 2009

It has been over two years since 17-yearold transgender teen Gwen Araujo was brutally murdered. On October 3, 2002, Gwen went to a party in Newark California. According to police reports, Araujo and several male acquaintances were drinking and reportedly engaging in sexual activity. At one point, a female friend of one of the men reportedly discovered Gwen's biological gender. According to the testimony of Jaron Nabors, one of the men, Gwen was punched, choked and hit in the head with a skillet. Nabors testified that he and Michael Magidson drove Gwen's body to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to bury her.

After two weeks, Jaron Nabors confessed to Newark police. The next day Magidson, Nabors and two other men were taken into custody. Nabors pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is scheduled to serve 11 years in prison. Almost 18 months after Gwen was killed the trial began for the remaining three. After a trail that stretched over three months, the jury of eight men and four women were unable to reach unanimous verdict. According to one of the jurors, who spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle, the jury agreed that it was a case of murder but were divided on whether it could be classified as premeditated, a requirement for a first degree murder conviction. The district attorney handling the case has vowed to re-try the three men.

Though the case has faded from the headlines some, Gwen's story continues to touch both those who knew her as well as many others who heard Gwen's story only after her death.

Vanessa Martinez, a 17-year-old LYRIC participant, said Gwen's death has taught her to "enjoy life and respect trans folk." Vanessa was an acquaintance of Gwen, as Gwen was friends with her sister.

Vanessa said she admires the actions of Gwen's mom, Sylvia Guerrero, whom she heard speak at this year's inaugural Trans March. "Instead of living in the past with her grief, she was able to move on and become a more positive and progressive woman," Vanessa said in an e-mail interview. "Another thing that I admire most of Gwen's mother is that she was accepting of her daughter. Not a lot of folks are accepting of their children's making that decision to become trans."

In addition to noting Guerrero's courage, Vanessa said she was also struck by how much the two looked alike, described both as beautiful.

Vanessa said that while Gwen's death made her angry, one good thing that has stemmed from the killing is a greater awareness of transgender issues.

In the time since Gwen's death, Guerrero has been speaking out for acceptance of transgendered people as well as pushing for her daughter to be remembered in the way she would want to be.

With many newspapers and broadcast media still calling Gwen by her birth name, Guerrero went to court last year in an effort to get her daughter's name legally changed. On June 23, 2004, a judge agreed to the request, formally giving Gwen the name she had chosen in honor of her favorite singer, No doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani.

-By Natasha Brinsko (tashabay)

Sources: Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle

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