In Death Gwen Gets Her Name

(Newark, California) Gwen Araujo, the transgendered teen brutally murdered by in 2002 will finally get her wish to have her name officially changed to reflect her correct sex.

Superior Court Commissioner Thomas Surh has agreed to a request from Gwen’s mother, Sylvia Guerrero to posthumously change the records.

Surh issued an order recognizing the change of name from Eddie Araujo, Jr. to Gwen Amber Rose Araujo. 

“I’m elated for Gwen, my family, and our friends. This is something that all of us have been waiting too long for,” said Guerrero. “It is one of my regrets that I didn’t call my daughter Gwen more while she was alive. Having this order granted helps me to put that regret to rest.”

Araujo was beaten, battered with a shovel and then strangled to death on the night of Oct. 4, 2002 after the men discovered her biological sex. Her body was found in a shallow grave several days later

Last week a mistrial was declared in the trial of three men charged in Araujo's slaying. (story)

During the trial defense attorneys argued that the three panicked when after having sex with the teen they discovered that she had been born male.  The tactic, similar to the so-called gay panic defense, was condemned by trans activists. The attorneys had argued that the men should have been charged with manslaughter not murder.

In the end, the stumbling block for the jury was whether to convict the trio of first or second degree murder.

No date has been set for a retrial.   

Granting a posthumous name change is rarely done but  Transgender Law Center Co-Director Christopher Daley, who represented the family was confident.

“Make no mistake, this court order is not a symbolic document. Due to last week’s mistrial, Gwen’s name and identity will once again be subject to unprincipled attacks from the same defense attorneys who have spent the last several months disrespecting her. It is my strong hope that as we move towards a retrial for their clients, each of these attorneys will give this order the respect it demands by referring to Gwen by her legal name.”