Russian Trans Woman Murdered By Her Boyfriend

Trigger Warning

Via Womanist Musings, I’ve just learned the devastating news that yet another trans woman has been murdered in an apparent hate crime. (Note: because of transphobia in the article, I am not quoting directly from it. Please read at your own discretion.)

The woman’s name was Kamilla; the only English language report I’ve been able to find does not give her last name. She had been living with a boyfriend of two years, named Vladimir. When Vladimir asked asked Kamilla to marry him, she declined. Apparently believing that she could not have possibly turned him down for her stated reason of not being ready to wed, he started going through her things, and found letters addressed to her former name. Upon further invasions of her privacy, he learned that she was trans.

Then he shot her dead.

Vladimir also slit his own wrists after murdering Kamilla. Of course he is still alive, and is now thankfully facing murder charges.

The circumstantial evidence quite clearly indicates that Vladimir murdered Kamilla because of transphobic and transmisogynistic hatred. And so, in fact, does the physical evidence. In his suicide note, Vladimir stated that he killed Kamilla because of her “betrayal.”

That’s right. Vladimir saw Kamilla being the person she was as a “betrayal” to him. And because the lives of trans individuals, and of just all women period, are seen as so expendable, he decided that the perceived “betrayal” was enough reason to take her life.

http://thecurvature.com/2009/06/26/russian-trans-woman-murdered-by-her-boyfriend/

Such a f*cked up world. I am sorry Kamilla did not get the life she deserved. I hope Vladimir finds a special hell on earth.

Russia! You'd think it was Florida or something what with the stuff that comes out of that place.

the more nuts that are in it.

There was a similar story a couple of years back in America (I don't remember which state it was in, but it was a person of transsexual experience who was hitchhiking and got assaulted and killed...the "comments" sections of the articles were downright vile).

I went back and read the original story though, and can't for the life of me figure out why it was so "transphobic". Seemed pretty basic and factual to me (no hurtful or hateful verbiage that I noticed).

Did I miss something there? I'd really appreciate any response folks might have on this one, as I have an old friend who is a person of transsexual history and I would like to know if I'm not aware of something that could be insulting/hurtful.

My heart goes out to Kamilla and I hope Vladimir goes to prison.

Here's what I don't understand, why did she not tell him? Why do the trans-people in these cases get into relationships with people and not say anything?

I'm not casting judgment but I honestly don't understand.

You Are My Sister. RIP Kamilla. :cry: K&R
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-NziGE6DVY

Some people aren't very 'understanding' about that. I'm about as open minded as you can get. I live in the deep dark goth/industrial bdsm fetish underground - which is VERY non-judgmental. I went out on a date with a trans that claimed to be a woman. She revealed that she was in fact a he at the end of dinner. I explained that I was not the right person for them as I was looking for a woman. Others may not have been as cool about it.

The article doesn't state whether she was 'pre-op' or 'post-op'.

Facepalm.

Trans women are women.

Take a clue from your own words "non-judgmental".

And what's with this "pre-op" and "post-op" shit? Trans women are mostly BORN that way.

If she was 'born' as a woman, then she wouldn't be a 'trans'.

I don't give a crap about her gender in any way. I am taking issue with the fact that she denied her partner 'informed consent'. I have seen both sides of the coin. I am a person with 'secrets' as well. My life is about what many would consider 'deviant sexual behavior' AND I'm also legally married - and my current girlfriend is fully aware of all of this. If she wasn't, then she wouldn't be the right woman for me. If I failed to inform her in the beginning (as I did) and she found out later on her own, she would (rightly) be very angry at my deceit and betrayal.

She should have been upfront.

apparently they can't live with themselves if they discover they fell in love with someone who has...or used to have...a penis. So they have to destroy that other person. . .not just walk away. . .but commit murder.

Of course, the courts have supported this behavior for years in our own country. . .often reducing charges and convictions for the poor, "victimized" heterosexual-identified male who couldn't control his reactions when he rightfully became self-loathing over dating a transgendered person.

It's really just another example of how the laws and the social culture has always been geared toward the undisciplined emotions of one particular group, and how they use them to play "God" over everyone else's life.