In 2003, Bella Evangelista, a respected performer and transgender woman was shot to death on a D.C. street. Five years later, Tony Hunter, an openly gay man, was on his way to a bar when he was assaulted and ultimately died due to a sustained head injury from the attack.
Both perpetrators argued that the reason they murdered Bella and Tony was because they “panicked” when they realized their respective sexual orientation and identity.
They claimed the murders were justified self-defense due to this panic. That was a legitimate argument made in court. And it was legal.
The root causes of these hate crimes were transphobia and homophobia, and despite having the highest LGBTQ community per capita, the District of Columbia’s legal code does