Justice Served in Transgender Bashing

Posted by admin on Jan 14, 2011 in Featured, Outreach | 1 comment

Justice Served in Transgender Bashing

For Immediate Release

January 14, 2011

Houston, TX –Terrance Calhoun, the 23 year old man responsible for the violent attack on Houston Community College (HCC) student and transgender man Lance Reyna, was sentenced Wednesday morning, Jan 12, to seven years in prison by Harris County District Court Judge Belinda Hill.

The attack took place in the restroom at HCC’s Central Campus near downtown Houston on June 22, 2010. Calhoun followed Reyna into the restroom, shouted “Hey queer!”, and demanded Reyna’s possessions while thrusting a knife against Reyna’s throat.  After robbing Reyna, Calhoun struck him in the face and shoved him to the floor.

“Since Mr. Calhoun was convicted of an aggravated felony, he will have to serve at least half of his sentence,” said Cristan Williams, Executive Director of the Transgender Foundation of America. “This will give Lance an opportunity to finish his degree without worrying if is attacker might be on campus.”

Lance Reyna, victim of bashing during Houston GLBT Pride

The Transgender Foundation of America (TFA) worked closely with Reyna as well as local and campus police to ensure that this case was fully investigated and prosecuted.  HCC police had initially discouraged Reyna from filing a report with the Houston Police Department (HPD); without filing a report with HPD, Reyna would not have been eligible for victim assistance services. When Calhoun was apprehended, TFA representatives accompanied Reyna to the line-up. TFA was able to provide Reyna with a trained victim’s advocate and accompany him to court for every hearing. Additionally, TFA monitored local media and took action when media outlets portrayed the bashing in a sensationalistic manner.

“I feel like justice has finally been served,” said Lance Reyna. “I just wanted to be able to finish my degree without wondering if my basher is on campus. I was surprised by the length of the sentence. It was significantly more than what I had requested he receive. I just wanted to move on with my life and be able to go to school without looking over my shoulder. ”

TFA is a 501c3 nonprofit that runs the Houston Transgender Center, Archive and Library. In addition to social services, the Transgender Center offers an array of support group meetings, lectures and events designed to improve the quality of life for transgender people.