Every now and again I get a reminder as to why I need to fight so hard for Gay Rights.

I often get my reason like I did this morning. When I opened up my newspaper to read a rape/murder story that happened in 2012 that I never heard of before. Guillermo Alvarado Ajcuc, a day labourer, went out drinking and found an easy target in a fellow bar patron Mirian Yohanna Garcia Mansilla who was very inebriated. When I first looked at both their pictures I thought perhaps there were two men involved –but soon discovered that one of the pictures was actually a very Butch looking female. I was waiting to hear she was a lesbian at some point in the story and towards the end–I did.

The Bartender said they were actually buying drinks for one another until he asked them to leave.  We don’t know the details–but unfortunately, we know the outcome. Guillermo decided he wanted to have sex with her. Her friend later stated that she was clearly a lesbian with absolutely no interest in men. When Guillermo tried to rape her, she fought back –and he, apparently, fought back even harder. He ended up choking her to death with his belt and left her dead and half-naked in the nearby woods–only a few miles from my house–in an otherwise “gay-friendly” town. So I mistakenly thought.

I would imagine that the victim, Mirian, thought she would go out for a few drinks and ‘hang’ with the guys for a bit. But the painful truth is–not only are you at risk as a female out alone in a straight bar–or ANY bar–but especially if you are a female lesbian. I am far from a man-hater and stay clear from any gender bias–BUT Men like Guillermo who already see women as disposable–look at lesbians with even more contempt. They want to teach them a good lesson by dehumanizing them because they simply believe they are dirt.

THIS is WHY I fight so hard–and this is why AWARENESS IS SO IMPORTANT.

To help change certain people’s warped public perceptions of the LGBT community–as the Jewish people and African Americans had to be accepted and integrated into our community after WWII and the Civil Rights Movement.

But I have to say–a few weeks ago a black man in my nearby town was teased at his job when a fellow co-worker put a picture of a baby monkey with his name on it–the grown black man went home in tears. Recently, a local Synagogue had yet another Swastika spray-painted on its door. We may never be able to completely fix such negative bias against ANY minority group. These demented people are indeed opportunists–as Guillermo was. Let’s NOT give people like them ANY opportunity to hurt us– and stay safe by being aware of your environment, sticking with your friends and not getting too messed up. Without opportunity–crime simply cannot happen.
Since we may never be able to completely rid the world of these evil people –we must always protect ourselves–and unfortunately, as lesbians we may have to be even more careful. Even if we get EVERY right we deserve–there will still be those who hate us–and want to show it. You can show your pride, but we may always have to watch our backs as we do it.

“May you rest in Peace dear Mirian Yohanna Garcia Mansilla–And we’ll make sure your death will NEVER be in vain.