VivirLatino

Remembering Angie Zapata

09:00 H | Topics: Colorado - Crime - GLBT - Women

While the papers run obits for Bernie Mac and Issac Hayes, much attention isn't being paid to the violent killing of Angie Zapata.

Her community remembers her though, and by her community, I mean people who actually knew the woman, and people who were moved by her life and sadly the gruesome way her death was handled by the mainstream media.

"We never knew how dangerous this world is," Zapata said, remembering her sister Angie Zapata, a transgender woman killed in Greeley in mid-July. "You are who you are and you should never be ashamed."

Officials say Angie Zapata was the target of a hate crime after a man she was on a date with beat her to death with his fists and a fire extinguisher after learning she was biologically male, according to police. The man, Allen Ray Andrade, faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the death and charges of a bias-motivated crime -- a felony.

Angie Zapata would have celebrated her 19th birthday last week.

"She always knew she was supposed to be a girl. And we knew it too," Monica Zapata said. "Don't remember her as transgendered but remember her as a beautiful, loving woman."

Donna Rose of The Donna Blog was at a memorial service for Angie this past Saturday and posted moving photographs that everyone should see and reflect on.

Via / Pam's House Blend, The Greely Tribune, The Donna Blog

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