LANSING, MIch. – Less than twenty-four hours after the Michigan House overwhelmingly approved the passage of a package of bills to expand the state's Ethnic Intimidation Act, a mother of a murdered transgender teen encourage the State Senate to move on the bills.
Sylvia Guerrero of California, the mother of slain transgender 17-year-old Gwen Araujo, told Michigan Messenger and Between the Lines, that the Michigan Senate should act on the bills and pass them.
"It is very important to pass this," Guerrero said over coffee in a Lansing cafe. "I would encourage them (legislators who are opposed to the bills) to go out and to meet people that are effected by this. And that would even include me. I would invite them to visit me or to talk to me. I would open that invitation."
And while the bills face an uncertain future in the state Senate, Guerrero has a message for supporters of the legislation as well.
"For those of you who are feeling frustrated that it is in the wrong hands or it is not going to go through, I ask you to pray and to have faith because God is really moving mountains," she said. "We need to keep trying and we need to keep fighting the good fight. "
Guerrero is in Lansing to speak at Michigan State University as part of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. She will speak at Wonders Hall Kiva at the East Lansing campus at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14. Her speech will include a documentary as well as a discussion about her daughter, her daughter's death and Guerrero's journey as an activist and mother.
