District of Columbia
Man convicted in 2023 shooting of trans woman requests new trial
Prosecutor disputes claim that victim lied about role as sex worker
A man found guilty by a D.C. Superior Court jury on Sept. 24 of aggravated assault while armed and four additional gun related charges for the Nov. 29, 2023, shooting of a transgender female sex worker in a Northeast D.C. apartment building is requesting through his attorney that the verdict be overturned and a new trial be held.
Court records show that the attorney representing D.C. resident Jerry Tyree, 46, filed a motion on Sept. 29 requesting a new trial, five days after the jury handed down its guilty verdict, on grounds that “newly discovered evidence” shows the victim allegedly perjured herself while testifying at the trial about her role as a sex worker.
Testimony by key prosecution witnesses at the trial, including Kayla Fowler, the victim, and police investigators, pointed out that Tyree and Fowler first met at the intersection of Eastern Avenue, N.E. and Foote Street, N.E., an area known as a gathering place for female trans sex workers, around 2 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2023,
“After negotiating a price for oral sex, the defendant and the victim walked together into a nearby apartment building, where the victim performed oral sex on the defendant,” according to a statement released after the trial by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for D.C.
“The defendant then accused the victim of robbing him, and when she denied doing so, the defendant pulled out a small silver handgun and shot the victim directly into the penis before leaving the scene,” the statement says. “Police were called by a neighbor, and the victim was transported to the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries,” it says.
Evidence presented by police and prosecutors at the trial showed that on Dec. 30, 2023, a month after the shooting, police arrested Tyree after finding him in possession of a gun that was found to be the same handgun used to shoot Fowler.
Tyree testified at his trial that it was Fowler who had the gun and pulled it out after he accused her of stealing about $80 in cash from his pants pocket at the time she was performing oral sex on him. He told the jury he attempted to grab the gun from Fowler, which led to a struggle during which the gun fired, and Fowler was struck by a single bullet.
Court observers have said the jury clearly did not believe Tyree’s version of what happened and appeared to find the evidence presented by prosecution witnesses, including Fowler’s testimony, persuasive and prompted them to render a guilty verdict.
Prior to the defense motion for a new trial, a sentencing hearing for Tyree had been scheduled for Dec. 13. D.C. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur, who is presiding over the case, changed the sentencing hearing to a status hearing pending the outcome of the motion calling for a new trial.
The Washington Blade couldn’t immediately obtain a copy of the defense motion seeking a new trial, which was not available in online court records and a court official couldn’t immediately access the document and provide it to the Blade. Tyree’s defense attorney, Sara Kopecki, didn’t respond to a Blade request seeking a copy of her motion.
But a court official was able to provide the Blade with the 21-page motion filed by the lead prosecutor in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza, opposing the defense request for a new trial and disputing the defense claim that Fowler perjured herself on the witness stand during the trial.
According to prosecutor Cucuzza’s motion, the defense motion “patently misquotes the victim’s trial testimony” by claiming she testified that she “was now working as a peer educator for a nonprofit organization in Baltimore” and “no longer” working as a prostitute, feigning a “salvation story” to the jury.
Court records show that the nonprofit group she worked for was the LGBTQ supportive social services group Safe Haven, which has offices in Baltimore and D.C. Iya Dammons, Safe Haven’s executive director, told the Blade Fowler did well during the short time she worked there. Dammons said Fowler resigned from her job, saying she wanted to move to her mother’s home that may have been in North Carolina.
The prosecutor’s motion opposing a new trial states that the so-called new evidence that the defense motion refers to is a D.C. police report stating that Fowler went to the D.C. police Sixth District station to report that she was accosted by a man who threatened to kill her on Sept. 21 at 5920 Foote St., N.E., on the same block of the apartment building where she was shot.
The defense motion seeking a new trial, according to the prosecutor’s motion in opposition to a new trial, claims that Fowler was at the location where she was accosted while engaging in prostitution. The defense motion claims this proves Fowler lied on the witness stand when she said her work at Safe Haven in Baltimore gave her an opportunity to “change my life after that incident where I got shot” and implied she was no longer engaging in sex work.
The defense motion points out that she was engaging in prostitution while Tyree’s trial was still going on and a short time after she testified at the trial.
In his motion opposing a new trial, prosecutor Cocuzza says Fowler never stated in her trial testimony that she was no longer engaging in sex work. “Thus, the defense’s filing patently misquotes the victim’s trial testimony, and the victim did not lie under oath based on this ‘new evidence,’” Cocuzza’s motion states.
Cocuzza adds in his motion opposing a new trial, “Second, the victim’s return to prostitution after the close of evidence in this case would not ‘probably’ produce an acquittal, as the jury heard at length and in graphic detail about the victim’s sex work, which was a focal point of the trial.” He further adds in his motion, “The fact that she returned to the profession after the close of evidence has absolutely no impact on our trial.”
Defense attorney Kopecki did not respond to a Blade request for comment on the prosecutor’s motion opposing a new trial.
Court records show that on Dec. 11 Kopecki requested, and prosecutors did not oppose, her request for more time to file a response to the prosecutor’s lengthy motion opposing a new trial. The court records show that Judge Arthur granted the request and extended the deadline for her to submit her reply to Jan. 3, 2025.
It couldn’t immediately be determined when Judge Arthur plans to issue a ruling on whether or not a new trial should be held.
District of Columbia
Community mourns passing of D.C. trans rights advocate SaVanna Wanzer
Acclaimed activist credited with founding D.C. Trans Pride
Three D.C.-based LGBTQ advocacy organizations released statements on April 24 announcing that highly acclaimed D.C. transgender rights advocate SaVanna Wanzer has passed away.
A family member told the Blade that Wanzer died on Friday, April 24 of natural causes. She was 63.
Among other things, the advocacy groups noted that Wanzer is credited with being the lead founder of the D.C. Trans Pride and D.C. Black Trans Pride celebrations and events.
“As a trailblazing transgender activist, educator, and founder of D.C. Trans Pride, D.C. Black Trans Pride, and May Is All About Trans, SaVanna created and led transformative transgender programming during D.C. Black Pride that ensured trans voices, stories, leadership, and lived experiences were centered, celebrated, and protected,” according to the statement from the Center for Black Equity, an LGBTQ organization.
“Her work was not just about representation, it was about liberation, community, and making sure Black Trans lives were honored in rooms, stages, policies, and movements that too often overlooked them,” the statement says.
In its own statement, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, called Wanzer an icon of D.C.’s Black trans community and longtime leader in many LGBTQ organizations.
“SaVanna Wanzer was a D.C. legend,” Laurel Powell, HRC’s Director of Communications, said in the statement. “She advocated for many years for the trans community and for people living with HIV, and served with many organizations, including D.C. Black Pride, Capital Pride, and NMAC [National Minority AIDS Council],” the statement adds.
“I can say firsthand that SaVanna will not just be missed for her work, but for her sisterly wisdom and her sense of humor,” Powell said in the HRC statement.
In its own statement, Capital Pride Alliance, which organizes D.C.’s annual LGBTQ Pride events, called Wanzer a “trailblazer” in her role as founder of Capital Trans Pride, D.C. Black Trans Pride, and the May Is All About Trans events. It says she served on the Capital Pride Board of Directors
“SaVanna was not just an advocate and community organizer but also a knowledge holder and elder voice in our movement,” the statement adds
In an undated statement on its website released before Wanzer’s passing, the D.C. group Food and Friends, which provides home-delivered meals to people in need, including people with HIV and cancer, says Wanzer had been one of its clients in the past. It says she had been living with heart problems since she was 16 and learned she had HIV in 1985 when she went to donate blood while working at the time for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It also says she had diabetes, which was under control.
Among her many involvements, Wanzer also served as a volunteer for D.C.’s Whitman-Walker Health, which provides medical services for the LGBTQ community along with other communities. In 2015, Whitman-Walker selected Wanzer as the first recipient of its Robert Fenner Urquhart Award for her volunteer services at Whitman-Walker for more than 20 years.
The Center for Black Equity appeared to capture the sentiment of those in the LGBTQ community who knew Wanzer in the concluding part of its statement on her passing.
“Her vision continues to guide us,” it says. “Her courage continues to inspire us. Her impact will continue to live through every person, every Pride, and every space made more possible because she dared to lead,” it says. “Rest in power, SaVanna Wanzer. Your light remains with us.”
The family member said funeral arrangements are expected to be announced early next week. This story will be updated.
District of Columbia
Second trans member announces plans to resign from Capital Pride board
Zion Peters cites ‘lack of interest in the Black trans community’
Zion Peters, a member of the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors who identifies as transgender, told the Washington Blade he plans to resign from the board “due to the lack of interest in the trans community, specifically the Black trans community.”
Peters continued, “Nobody has checked on me in the last two months so that shows their level of unprofessionalism towards their board members and the community as a whole.”
If he resigns, Peters would be the second known trans person to resign from the Capital Pride board since February, when longtime trans activist Taylor Lianne Chandler informed the board of her resignation in a detailed letter that was sent to the Blade by an anonymous source.
Chandler, who served as chair of the Capital Pride Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex Committee, stated in her Feb. 24 letter that she resigned from the board out of frustration that the board had failed to address instances of “sexual misconduct” within the Capital Pride organization. The organization’s and the board’s transgender-related policies were not cited in her letter as a reason for her resignation.
The Blade learned of Peters’s plans to resign from an anonymous source who thought Peters had already resigned along with four other board members identified by the anonymous source. The others, who Capital Pride confirmed this week had resigned, include Anthony Musa, Bob Gilchrist, Kaniya Walker, and Dai Nguyen.
Musa and Gilchrist told the Blade they resigned for personal reasons related to their jobs and that they fully support Capital Pride’s work as an organization that coordinates the city’s annual LGBTQ Pride events.
The Blade has been unable to reach Walker and Nguyen to determine their reasons for resigning.
Capital Pride CEO Ryan Bos and Board Chair Anna Jinkerson didn’t respond to a Blade question asking if they knew why Walker or Nguyen resigned.
In response to a request by the Blade for comment on the resignations and the concern raised by Zion Peters about trans-related issues, Bos and Jinkerson sent separate statements elaborating on the organization and the board’s position on various issues.
“We can confirm that the individuals you referenced, except for Zion, no longer serve on the Capital Pride Alliance Board of Directors,” Jinkerson said in her statement.
She added that following the WorldPride festival hosted by D.C. last May and June that was organized by Capital Pride Alliance, the group anticipated a “significant level of board transition,” with many board members reaching the end of their terms. But she said many board members chose to extend their service or apply for an additional term, showing a “powerful reflection of commitment.”
Without commenting on the specific reasons for the resignations of Peterson, Walker, and Nygun, Jinkerson noted, “As with all volunteer leadership roles, transitions occur for a range of personal and professional reasons, and we appreciate those transitions with both understanding and gratitude.”
In his own statement, Bos addressed Capital Pride’s record on transgender issues.
“The Capital Pride Alliance is committed to supporting and uplifting the Trans community through our work with the Trans Coalition under the Diversity of Prides Initiative, our partnership with Earline Budd on the LGBTQ+ Burial Fund with a focus on our Trans siblings, our collaboration with the National Trans Visibility March, and our ongoing investment in programming for Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance,” Bos said in his statement.
“We also recognize there is always continued work to be done, and we always welcome feedback from our community to ensure our commitment remains unwavering,” he said.
At the time of her resignation in February, Chandler said she could not provide specific details of the instances of sexual misconduct to which she referred in her resignation letter, or who allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct, saying she and all other board members had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement preventing them from disclosing further details.
Board Chair Jinkerson in a statement released at that time said she and the board were aware of Chandler’s concerns but did not specifically address allegations of sexual misconduct.
“When concerns are brought to CPA, we act quickly and appropriately to address them,” she said. “As we continue to grow as an organization, we’re proactively strengthening the policies and procedures that shape our systems, our infrastructure, and the support we provide to our team and partners,” she said.
District of Columbia
Curve magazine honors Washington Blade publisher
Lynne Brown named to 2026 Power List
Washington Blade Publisher Lynne Brown has been named to the 2026 Curve Power List celebrating LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary individuals in North America who are blazing trails in their chosen fields.
“From sports and entertainment icons to corporate leaders and lawmakers, these individuals are breaking barriers, challenging norms, and shaping the future,” Curve Foundation/Curve magazine said in announcing this year’s list, which includes ABC newscaster Robin Roberts, comedian/actress Hannah Einbinder, and singer/actress Renee Rapp, among others.
Brown has worked for the Washington Blade for nearly 40 years. She was named publisher in 2007 before becoming a co-owner in 2010.
“I am honored to be recognized by Curve magazine during Lesbian Visibility Week,” Brown said. “Receiving this Curve honor is twofold. I was an early subscriber to Curve. I enjoy the product and know its history. Its journalism, layout and humorous features have inspired me.
“As an owner/publisher, receiving recognition from a similar source acknowledges my work and efforts, with a sincerity I truly appreciate. Franco Stevens, the publisher of Curve, is a business person of duration, experience, and purpose. The fact that they are in the media business, and honoring me and my publication makes it a tiny bit sweeter.”
Nominations for the Curve Power List come from the community: peers, mentors, fans, and employers.
Curve explained the significance of the list in its announcement: “An annual, publicly nominated list of impactful LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary changemakers is crucial in current times to counter discrimination, legislative rollbacks, hostility, and the invisibility of queer women within mainstream and marginal spaces and endeavors. Such a list also fosters encouragement and solidarity, and elevates voices and achievements—from high-profile roles to under appreciated areas of life.”
Community mourns passing of D.C. trans rights advocate SaVanna Wanzer
Why we need to recognize and celebrate Lesbian Day of Visibility
Prominent activists join ‘Living History’ panel at Freddie’s Beach Bar
How arts institutions built the city that politics couldn’t
DC Center marks one year at new location
Inside the lonely world of MAGA gay men
PHOTOS: Night of Champions
PHOTOS: National Champagne Brunch
Victory Fund brunch draws top LGBTQ officials, 2028 hopeful Andy Beshear
