In an Oct. 15 article on the social-news network Rappler.com, friends and relatives described Jennifer Laude as not only outwardly beautiful but consistently selfless and full of joy.
The brutal slaying of the Filipina transgender woman in Olongapo City on Oct. 11 and the subsequent arrest of a U.S. MarinePrivate First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was charged with her murder three days laterreceived international media attention and galvanized LGBTQ communities in the Philippines and worldwide in a demand for justice.
On Oct. 28, Time Magazine reported that Pemberton's attorneys had asked for a reduced charge denying probable cause.
Meanwhile, witnesses are claiming that he was unaware that Laude was a transgender woman.
"Trans-panic" defenses have been attempted to convince juries that those charged with the murder of transgender people are, in some way, provoked and so justified in their actions. In 2013, the American Bar Association urged local, state and federal governments to introduce legislation curtailing their use. They were banned in California Sept. 29, 2014.
Moovza comprehensive social-media platform that is based in Israel, and has the goal of connecting and uniting the LGBT community around the worldhas added its collective voice to the outrage over Laude's death. With a membership tally that CEO and founder of the organization Liav Eliash asserts is growing at a rate of 100,000 users per month, Moovz has begun mobilizing its users in a massive online global vigil under the hashtag "JusticeforJennifer."
"No one has the right to take someone's life based on gender identity," Eliash said in a statement released Oct. 22. "Our duty as a global online community is to stand for the rights of LGBT [people], to increase [public] awareness, and make them understand that everyone is free and equal to live in a safe environment regardless of one's gender identity or sexual orientation."
In a recent interview, both Eliash and the Regional Manager of Moovz Asia Pacific Region Director Boyet Dalisau spoke with Windy City Times about the case and their work in concert with a "Day of Outrage" held across the Philippines Oct. 31.
As a Filipino, Boyet said that he was deeply affected by Laude's death. "This issue is something that really is unacceptable," Boyet said. "Through collaboration with other Filipinos, we created a plan to work together as LGBT advocates to make sure that justice will be served and to secure LGBT rights in the Philippines."
"At the end of the day, [Moovz] has built something for people to be able share whatever they feel without any fear," Eliash added. "We have the ability to expose anything on a global level. We can increase awareness, in a very short period of time, to the entire LGBT population taking part in Moovz and to get their support. Once we decided we wanted to take a stand [about Jennifer], we immediately activated our online users and people from all over the world started to share and try to understand how this horrible thing happened."
Eliash added that it was the sheer number of Moovz users in the Philippines that first brought Laude's case to Moovz's attention.
"She was the victim of a tragic killing and part of our community," Boyet said. "It is part of our responsibility to make sure that we create safe places for any member of the community anywhere the world."
Eliash said that he hoped that the awareness Moovz is bringing to Laude's case will deter crimes against transgender people in the future. "As a company, we cannot capture everything but whether it happens in Russia or Uganda or the United States, once we see something, like Jennifer's case, where we can contribute [our resources] we will do that."