Editor, Daily Nexus,

A young woman was brutally murdered on Oct. 3. Beaten and tied, bludgeoned and strangled, the body was discarded 150 miles east of San Francisco, according to police.

This murder is particularly gruesome because hate, fear and ignorance fueled it. Police say Gwen Araujo, born Eddie Araujo, was murdered by three men after discovering that Gwen was biologically male – that is, Gwen happened to be a transgendered person.

Far from being an isolated incident, women, queer and trans-identified individuals face violence and palpable hostility everyday. If you doubt it, think about the last time that you heard someone say fag, dyke, bitch or queer. Ask a woman or a queer-identified friend whether they or someone they know has been raped, molested, threatened or attacked. You’ll be surprised at the response. People murder everyday. People spread hate everyday. There is simply no excuse for it.

Join others who refuse to tolerate hate at one of the candlelight vigils this week. The first vigil is on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Storke Plaza; the second is a midnight vigil on Friday, Nov. 1 as part of El Congreso’s observation of D