Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara blasted three of her colleagues for spreading “unsubstantiated” details about the loss of life of a transgender individual at a South Boston house, saying their feedback might incite hate crimes.
In a sharply worded letter, Lara stated remarks made by three members of the City Council, Michael Flaherty, Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy, “lacked empathy and respect for the facts and stoked the kind of homophobic and transgender rhetoric that puts our most vulnerable residents at risk.”
“Our colleagues have actively misgendered the trans women involved, calling them ‘men in wigs,’” Lara wrote.
“In direct contradiction with the statements of the Boston Police, they’ve miscategorized the conditions of a constituent’s home and spread stories about ‘sex toys and drugs’ that are unsubstantiated to date, furthering the false right-wing narrative that our trans siblings are sexual deviants who our children need protecting from.”
Lara went on to say that whereas her three colleagues voted favorably for a decision celebrating Pride Month, “they have shown no respect for this community,” and have as a substitute opted for “scandalizing a tragedy to garner press attention and political points with the extreme right in our city under the guise of public safety.”
City Councilors Gabriela Coletta, Ruthzee Louijeune and Julia Mejia raised comparable issues at a Wednesday City Council assembly, the place Murphy, Flaherty and Flynn launched a request for a listening to order, to debate “public safety and quality of life issues for our residents in public housing.”
The request concludes by searching for a listening to to evaluate the Boston Housing Authority’s Department of Police and Public Safety “response procedures and protocols relating to public safety in BHA units, particularly the safety of children in BHA housing.”
Flaherty stated tenants really feel like situations have deteriorated in these public housing developments, and that the issues they’ve raised recurrently with BHA have “fallen on deaf ears.”
Murphy responded to Lara’s criticism whereas introducing a separate listening to order for a 32-year-old lady who’s going through prices for enrolling as a pupil within the Boston Public Schools.
“It’s been a heavy week,” Murphy stated. “I’m a mother. I’m a teacher. I’m now a city councilor. And I will continue, always, to speak up for our children even if others are silent, because our children deserve it.”
Flynn, the council president, didn’t straight tackle Lara’s remarks throughout Wednesday’s assembly, however did defend the hearth division, saying firefighters “responded first and with integrity.”
He additionally described the difficulty as “controversial,” and urged all metropolis councilors to attend the listening to on the matter.
The Boston Police and Fire Departments have supplied conflicting reviews on what occurred on June 17 on the Mary Ellen McCormack housing complicated in South Boston, the place a 26-year-old “male to female transgender” individual died close to 4 kids.
Mayor Michelle Wu additionally made remarks to reporters, describing among the particulars reported by the media as “conspiracy theories” and “rumors,” seemingly referring to statements made by Flynn, Flaherty and Murphy that intercourse toys, medication and alcohol have been current within the house the place the loss of life occurred.
The Police Department issued a press release days after the incident that stated a dad or mum for every of the 4 kids was current within the house when officers arrived, and that the entire adults have been cooperative.
Further, the assertion stated, “Information that drugs and other concerning materials were strewn about the home is not supported by what officers encountered or by the information received on scene.”
The hearth union president, Sam Dillon, has maintained that the hearth division’s report is “100% accurate.” He stated the individual died from an obvious drug overdose and there was drug paraphernalia within the house.
Firefighters have been first to reach, and due to this fact encountered a distinct scene than what was reported by the police of their assertion, Dillon instructed the Herald.
The hearth division reported “approximately six adults, who appeared to be males, were seen in the apartment.” The adults have been uncooperative and hiding the 4 kids, ages 5 to 10, from first responders in a again room, the report acknowledged.
Both the police and hearth departments filed a 51A little one abuse or neglect type. Firefighters had reported discovering the house in “extreme unsanitary conditions.”
The 4 kids have been taken into custody by the Department of Children and Families, a DCF spokesperson stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”