(#15) Teena's Mother Eventually Received Financial Compensation
In April 2001, Teena's mother, JoAnn Brandon, was awarded $5,000 for the wrongful death of her son, $7,000 for infliction of emotional distress, $80,000 for mental suffering, and $6,223.20 to pay for his funeral.
Sheriff Laux was found negligent in properly protecting Teena after he had agreed to testify against his attackers and was clearly in danger.
(#7) A Forgery Arrest In 1993 Outed Teena As Trans To The Whole Community
Teena reportedly began engaging in illegal behavior around 1990 or 1991. Forgery was chief among his crimes, and Brandon often used the ill-gotten funds to purchase gifts for his many successive girlfriends. He was arrested for one forgery crime in October 1991, then again for another one two years later on December 15, 1993.
Teena was taken into the county jail, but placed with the female inmates. News of Teena's identity quickly spread across the small Nebraska town. The story reached the friends with whom Teena had been palling around, John Lotter and Tom Nissen, who hadn't previously known Teena's story.
(#8) John Lotter And Tom Nissen Assaulted And Beat Teena
Teena was released from jail and resumed his life at Lisa Lambert's home while carrying on a relationship with Lana Tisdel. But shortly after, at a party on Christmas Eve of 1993, Teena was indecently and involuntarily exposed and assaulted by John Lotter and Tom Nissen, according to a report he filed with the local police the week it happened. According to The Atlantic, "Upon discovering Brandon was a biological female, Lotter and Nissen became obsessed with proving his anatomy to Lana, forcibly disrobing him in a bathroom on Christmas Eve, and hours later, raping him."
They'd heard about Teena's biological sex, and were enraged at the revelation. The bigoted duo threatened to execute Teena, but only left him greatly injured from their attack. He was treated in the hospital and tested positive for traces of semen.
(#9) The Sheriff Ignored Teena's Sexual Assault Report
Instead of arresting John Lotter and Tom Nissen, Sheriff Charles Laux taunted Teena during an interrogation. According to a tape later released by documentary filmmakers and acquired from the Richardson County Sheriff's Department, Laux said:
He didn't fondle you any, huh. Didn't that kind of amaze you? Doesn't that kind of, ah, get your attention somehow that he would've put his hands in your pants and play with you a little bit?
According to a report in The Atlantic, "Despite ample evidence, Laux neglected to apprehend and charge Lotter and Nissen, giving them the opportunity to plan and execute Brandon's murder... [one week later] on December 31, 1993."
(#6) He Moved Into His Girlfriend Lisa Lambert's House
Teena violated his probation in 1993 and subsequently moved out of the county and in with a new friend, Lisa Lambert, in an attempt to avoid another arrest and prison time. They lived in a dilapidated farmhouse in a rural area, along with Lambert's baby from a previous relationship.
Teena's new group of friends in the area included 17-year-old Lana Tisdel, her older sister Leslie, Lana's ex-boyfriend (and former convict) John Lotter, and his pal Marvin Nissen. The new friend group spent a lot of time hanging out, with Teena reportedly taking an interest in the younger Tisdel sister. The men purportedly assumed Teena was a biological male.
(#16) In 2018, The 'Village Voice' Writer Apologized For Her Insensitive Language And Attitude Toward The Trans Community
On June 20, 2018, The Village Voice ran an apology from journalist Donna Minkowitz that detailed and addressed issues with her original 1994 piece about Brandon Teena. Minkowitz revisited interactions with people during her reporting of the story, including Teena's mother, JoAnn Brandon, and acknowledged grief and confusion in the midst of what are now considered homophobic and vitriolic statements. Minkowitz's misinformation of trans people manifests in her occasional reference to Teena as "she" and "her" instead of his preferred, masculine pronouns.
Over the course of the piece, Minkowitz also called Teena a "gender offender," "wonder-boychik," "a cross-dresser," and "butch." She admitted the article had "implicit anti-trans framing" surrounding the identity, preferences, and choices of the story's subject, though claimed part of the reason was the overarching lack of education and cultural stigma barely enabled proper dialogue at the time.
The article clarified Minkowitz's use of her own personal hardships, including sexual assault and her identity as a lesbian, which she admitted biased the characterization of Teena as a self-hating LGBTQ+ person. It could not, however, undo any damage done by the original article's significant mischaracterization and disrespectful tone where trans people were concerned. Though there is a long way yet to go in de-stigmatizing and creating legal protections for trans people, the dialogue of inclusivity and the civil rights movement overall is being optimistically, if slowly, elevated.
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About This Tool
On December 31, 1993, Teena Brandon, who was only 21 years old, was murdered by two young people. She considers herself to be a person in a sexual identity crisis and has always been wearing fashionable short hair, he is indeed a handsome guy for all girls. But his two former friends John Lotter and Tom Nissen murdered him because they know that he was a girl.
This tragedy has caused widespread concern, and more people have appeal to the equal rights of transgender people. In 1999, director Kimberly Peirce directed and shot the movie Boys Don't Cry which is based on this true story. The random tool could help you to know more about the tragic story of Brandon Teena.
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