Black Gay Teen Shot Dead in Fort Lauderdale, Possible Hate Crime

Almost two weeks after the shocking death of Lawrence King in his California classroom, a gay black teen has been shot dead in South Florida. Police in Fort Lauderdale say 17-year-old Simmie Williams Jr. was dressed in women's clothing and his death is being investigated as a possible bias crime.

"We're looking into the possibility of a hate crime," Sgt. Kathy Collins with the Fort Lauderdale Police tells News 10. "There were some words exchanged prior to the shooting ... Witnesses said he was in a verbal argument with two men and then they heard several shots being fired and the men took off running."

Detectives say Williams was wearing a dress and at the corner of 10th Avenue and Sistrunk Boulevard at around 12:45 a.m. Friday. It is unclear what he was doing in the area. The vicinity is frequented by transgender prostitutes.

Williams' mother tells the Sun-Sentinnel she knew her son was openly gay, but, did not know her son wore women's clothes or what he did after dark. "I gave him $2 for the bus and he never came back," says Denise King, who lived with her son west of Fort Lauderdale. "He was a quiet person, kept to himself. He had a lot of friends. He wasn't a troubled child. He was a happy person."

The distraught mom also says her son "planned to get his GED":and then go to culinary school. "That's what he really wanted to do. That's all he talked about," says King. "He spent the whole day with me yesterday, played with his nephew and cooked dinner."

Although the Lawrence King murder is making national headlines and the community is pulling together, there probably will not be a stampede in Fort Lauderdale to apprehend the men who killed Simmie Williams. Authorities are historically slow to solve murders of black gay young men—a la Rashawn Brazell—and "being black, gay and dressing in women's clothing made Williams 'a minority within a minority within a minority,' says Grant Lynn Ford, dean of Sunshine Cathedral in Fort Lauderdale, a congregation that ministers to gays, lesbians and their families.

Gay Teen Shot Dead While Dressed as Woman [SS]
Police: Cross Dresser Shot, Killed [News 10]

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Comments

[Bradley Jax]

Not surprisingly, there is much more discussion at post on the gay porn twins. Oh well.

I'm sorry this young man lost his life. Hopefully they will find those responsible.

[Blah]

There are a few things that I find sad about this story. I don't know what the appeal of prostitution is for transgender kids. The story IMPLIES prostitution but doesn't state it outright.

Networks like MSNBC have shows like "Born in the Wrong Body" with transgender kids in the ball scene, making being gay and transgendered a spectator event. One person in particular was featured explicitly stating that he is a prostitue and vividly recalling an experience where he almost lost his life to an attack. The show failed to explain if the person, named "Deja" was still a prostitute or not.

My point is, it's easy to be a spectator and point and say "wow, they shouldn't do that". But it would be far more effective to create an environment for these teens who are obviously trying to find themselves and instead are finding mentors in the wrong people. If there wasn't such a stigma attached to being transgendered, maybe these people could be educated about how dangerous it is to prostitue themselves. It just all comes back to losing the stigmas and being educated and educating others.

[Cadence]

A lot of transgender people are forced into prostitution because many employers will not hire them, especially if it is obvious that they are transgender. This is why the inclusion of transgender people in ENDA was so important.

I don't know if that't the case with this young man, but I did read an iteresting article in the Chicago Free Press about Lawrence King. The author made a statement that may upset some people, but she was bemoaning the fact that many gay kids feel the need to express their homosexuality by gender bending. Of course this is totatlly different from what a transgender person goes through and how they feel. But, I think she may have a point that some older gay people and the media makes it seem that these kids can't be gay unless if they are male they have an effeminate personality, and if they are female they should take on a mascueline personality and style of dress.

[Cadence]

I just want to clarify that regardless of how they look, act, or if they prostitute themselves that doesn't justify being gay bashed or killed. And the people who did this to Williams and King would have committed those acts regardless of any actions on the part of either teen.

[Alan T]

Cadence, your and Blah's comments are beautiful and inspiring. We really need to understand the stigma attached to being transgender and fight against discrimination in employment and housing, etc.

[Derrick from Philly]

There is a book titled, "Honey, Honey, Miss Thaing," by Dr. Leon Pettiway (Indiana University). Many transfolk are gay/sgl (or they start off "gay" until they learn more about the concept of "transsexuality"). It is a very emotional issue for me. As a teen, many gay guys thought I was headed towards "drag", so I know the special anger directed at transfolk--even by gay/sgl men and women. But I'm always amazed by gay/sgl folks who say they've never talked to or been near a transperson.

[Robert Jones, Jr.]

How much more of this are we going to tolerate?