Brandon Teena’s name needs to be known.

I watched the movie ‘boys don’t cry’ for the first time a few nights ago and ever since, it’s just been bothering me especially since before the movie i have never once heard his name or even his story. Ever since, i’ve just felt such a strong need to share about him so that more people know and are aware.

Brandon Teena was a trans man who was murdered by two men who he believed were his friends, John Lotter and Tom Nissen in Nebraska on the night of December 31, 1993.

When John and Tom realized he was not a cis man at a Christmas party, they grabbed him and forced him to remove his pants, proving that he did not have male body parts. Both the men later assaulted Brandon and forced him into a car, drove him to a meat packing plant, and sexually assaulted him. They took Brandon home and demanded that he take a shower, however he escaped through a bathroom window.

Brandon decided to file a police report even though John and Tom warned ‘keep her mouth shut or we’ll permanently shut it for her’. He also went to the emergency room where a rape kit was started, but eventually was lost. When Brandon was questioned about the rape, the sheriff Charles B. Laux showed more interested in his trans status, more than the report itself and asked questions that Brandon refused to answer.

Both John and Tom were brought in for questioning, but neither were charged or arrested despite there being ample evidence. Around 1 Am on December 31, 1993, both of the men drove to Lisa Lambert’s house, where Brandon was staying. The men found her in bed and demanded to know where Brandon was but she refused to tell them. They eventually found him at the foot of the bed under a blanket, and shot him in the stomach. Tom noticed that Brandon was twitching, and received a knife from John which he stabbed Brandon in the chest with, to assure that he was dead.

Tom also shot Lambert in the stomach and then shot a her a second time. There was another man who was staying at the house with Lambert at the time, who they also shot twice on the couch. Tom then shot Lambert a few more times, then the men fled the scene, throwing their weapons and gloves on a nearby frozen river and returned to Falls City. They were both arrested later that afternoon.

John was eventually given the death penalty, while Tom was sentenced to life. Brandon was buried in Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska. His headstone is inscribed with his deadname ‘Teena Brandon’ with the epitaph ‘daughter, sister, and friend’.

There’s way more information about Brandon’s story, I attached a link to this post for anyone and everyone to read who wants to know the complete full story, I just did my best to give everyone a short story. Please take the time to read about him, Brandon’s name and story needs to be more widespread and talked about.