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On the Streets of DC
By David A. Fahrenthold & Simone Weichselbaum
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 22, 2003; Page A01
Attacks during the past week against men who live as women, including two shootings Wednesday night and yesterday morning, have left two dead in the District and alarmed activists of the transgender community.
D.C. police said the two latest shootings, which occurred five miles apart, did not appear to be connected. They also said there was no link to the fatal shooting of a transgender person Saturday, a case that has resulted in an arrest.
Activists in the transgender community, who have held several vigils in the past week, said Washington has emerged as one of the most dangerous places in the country for men who live as women. There have been five killings since last summer, most unsolved, police said.
"Our lives are being taken by the simple fact that we are who we are," said Ruby Bracamonte, who spoke at a news conference called yesterday to discuss the attacks. "My message is this: We are all human beings. Whatever you do, don't forget that."
Detectives are looking for similarities between the two cases, including examining ballistics evidence and trying to determine whether the attacks were connected to nearby "strolls", areas where transgender prostitutes work.
©2003 The Washington Post Company
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