Philippines: Activists to hold ‘Day of Outrage’ over murder of trans woman Jennifer Laude
Activists in the Philippines say the media attention of Jennifer Laude’s murder signals “a slow movement towards bringing transgender issues to the mainstream,” and are set to campaign today to push for justice.
It comes after 26-year-old Jennifer Laude Sueselbeck was found strangled on this month, naked with her head in the toilet.
US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton – who was one of hundreds of US marines in the area for a training exercise – was formally charged last week of the woman’s murder.
Now campaigners are set to hold a “National Day of Outrage” by staging candlelight vigils across four cities the country on Friday, according to Time.
This follows a similar vigil recently held in San Francisco, which was held to demand “an end to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)” of the US military.
Charlese Saballe, chairwoman of the Society of Transsexual Women of the Philippines (STRAP), said: “We will deliver messages of solidarity and push for justice.
“The media attention to Jennifer’s case means a slow movement toward bringing transgender issues to the mainstream.”
She added: “If media and other groups in the US frame [Laude’s murder] as a hate crime and focuses on transgender rights, it might trickle down to people in society here and affect how they treat transgender and LGBT people.”
Sabelle also stressed the trans community is still “not really accepted in society.”
“Only days after Jennifer was killed, two other trans women were murdered,” she said.
Earlier this month, dozens of protesters burned the US flag outside the US embassy in the Philippines, demanding Washington hand over custody of Pemberton.
Around 40 activists waved red flags and shouted “US troops out now.”
