The Greeley Tribune responded to transgender and gay advocates yesterday when it corrected its coverage of a transgender murder victim. Justin Zapata, 18, was living as a woman and was known by family and friends as Angie Zapata, when she was murdered in her apartment last week. Greeley Police won’t speculate on whether Zapata’s murder was related to her gender identity.
The Tribune’s first article about Zapata named her as a "he." The newspaper received about a dozen complaints from transgender advocates and has since changed course. "According to the Associated Press, if a person lives publicly as a member of the other sex, and presents themselves as a member of that sex, they should be referred to as the sex they prefer. Therefore, in the obituary in today’s Tribune and in news stories, Zapata will have female references," the article reads.