This is a powerpoint that I made in memory of Eddie "Gwen" Araujo who was brutally murdered for being who she is.

1. Hate crimes: the story of eddie “gwen” araujo By: Lauren Maldonado

2. This is Eddie.

3. This is Gwen.

4. Gwen & Eddie are the same person. Eddie was born February 24, 1985. He was 14 when he finally told his family that he was truly a she. That’s when Gwen was born.

5. Gwen was a very happy girl. She loved to have a good time and make everyone around her happy. Not everyone accepted her right away but she had patience, and knew that down the line everyone that loves her will see how happy she was.

6. Gwen who at that time went by the name “Lida”, was introduced to a circle of friends whom she met during a chance encounter while walking down a local street. The group enjoyed passing the evenings that included playing dominoes and consuming drugs and alcohol at the home where the hate crime took place.

7. A few weeks later, she was invited back to the house where a party was planned. Before leaving for the party, Gwen had an argument with her mother over the event. This was the last time Sylvia Guerrero saw her child alive.

8. On October 3, 2002 Nicole Brown set up a party in order to get back at Gwen for “stealing” her boyfriend. She hinted to the guys that Gwen is really a male. The men that she had had sexual relations with became extremely upset. Once it was discovered that Gwen was biologically male, Mike Magidson began choking her in the hallway of the house. Mike Magidson

9. At this point numerous guests left the residence. Jose Merel and Jaron Nabors remained inside the residence with Mike Magidson. Jason Cazares claimed to go outside at this point; however he did not leave because he had arrived in Mike Magidson’s truck. After everyone left, the three assailants continued assaulting Gwen. She was brutally beaten for about 5 hours. Jaron Nabors

10. Jose Merel struck her over the head with a frying pan and then struck again with a can of tomatoes, causing a gash to her head which bled non-stop. Mike Magidson kneed her in the head against the living room wall, with such force that her head caused an indentation in the plaster wall. After this, Gwen was taken to the garage of the home and strangled with a rope. Most accounts have Jose Merel cleaning blood out of the carpet at the time she was strangled. Jose Merel on the left

11. She was then hog-tied, wrapped in a blanket and placed in the bed of a pick-up truck. The three men, plus Jason Cazares drove her body to parkland in El Dorado County, California, a wooded area in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada known as Silver Fork, where she was finally buried in a shallow grave. Jason Cazares

12. It is not clear at what point during this sequence of events Gwen’s death occurred. However, the autopsy showed that she died from strangulation associated with blunt force trauma to the head.

13. Gwen was murdered because she was a transgender. No one stopped to think. Gwen was a daughter, grand-daughter, sister, friend. They didn’t think of how many people would be effected by this. They didn’t think at all! Their hate and ignorance took the life of an innocent 17 year old girl.

14. In 2004, an Alameda County judge declared a mistrial in the Gwen Araujo case after jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked on whether three men killed the transgender Newark teenager. Sylvia Guerrero holding a picture of her murdered child.

15. Many protestors waited outside of Gwen’s house on the day of the funeral. They had picket signs saying “GOD HATES FAGS”, “NO HE/SHE” but Gwen’s loving family just ignored them and continued the funeral as planned. As they arrived to the funeral there were thousands of people who supported Gwen and her transgender life style.

16. On June 9, 2006 Lifetime TV made a movie dedicated to Gwen called “A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story” starring J.P. Pardo as Gwen.

17. The makers of the film hope that showing Gwen’s story would promote a better understanding and acceptance of people for who they are. Being different shouldn’t cost you your life. This movie received 5 stars. It is very touching and will make you see a whole other side about the lives of transgenders and get a little idea on what they go through living the life they live. J.P Pardo as Gwen

18. No matter what you are, what you look like, what you do in life, we are ALL humans. God loves each and everyone of us not matter what we chose to be. Personally I think it is your business on how you want to live your life. Just because you chose to live a way that others don’t like doesn’t mean you have to kill to let them know what you think. What happened to Gwen was vicious, cruel, and disturbing. In my opinion, I believe every single one of those men should be put away for life including Nicole Brown. Take a look around you this is society today. I hope this can wake you up a little bit because I know I did. R.I.P Gwen Araujo Feb. 24, 1985 – Oct. 4, 2002

19. MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! STOP THESE HATE CRIMES!! The End