Random Tragic Story Of Brandon Teena, Whose Case Inspired 'Boys Don't Cry' (16 items)

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  (#2) Teena Endured Assault As A Child

  Teena and his older sister Tammy were both allegedly molested by an uncle when they were young. Tammy reported it to their grandmother, but the woman ignored her. The same grandmother later used slurs to refer to Teena and pressed charges against him when he pilfered from her. At the same time, his mother described Teena as "the most lovable person" and later revealed that he was an outspoken person who, while growing up, wanted to be a commercial artist.

  In high school, Teena was allegedly assaulted by a classmate, but he dropped the charges after reporting the crime. His junior year, Brandon attempted suicide by antibiotic pills. He spent time in the Lincoln Crisis Program that diagnosed him with a personality disorder and as "transsexual" in 1992 - a word that is now considered incorrect and outdated.
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  (#8) John Lotter And Tom Nissen Assaulted And Beat Teena

  Teena was released from jail and resumed his life at Lisa Lambert's home while carrying on a relationship with Lana Tisdel. But shortly after, at a party on Christmas Eve of 1993, Teena was indecently and involuntarily exposed and assaulted by John Lotter and Tom Nissen, according to a report he filed with the local police the week it happened. According to The Atlantic, "Upon discovering Brandon was a biological female, Lotter and Nissen became obsessed with proving his anatomy to Lana, forcibly disrobing him in a bathroom on Christmas Eve, and hours later, raping him."

  They'd heard about Teena's biological sex, and were enraged at the revelation. The bigoted duo threatened to execute Teena, but only left him greatly injured from their attack. He was treated in the hospital and tested positive for traces of semen.
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  (#1) Teena Grew Up In Poverty, And Was Allegedly Named After The Family Dog

  JoAnn Brandon was only 13 when she had her first child while living in a low-income trailer park near Lincoln, NE. In 1972, the then 16-year-old JoAnn was pregnant again when her 19-year-old husband died in a car accident, reportedly as a result of alcohol-related circumstances.

  A teenage widow, JoAnn dropped out of community college to collect disability and gave birth to a baby whom she named Teena Renae Brandon. Baby Teena was supposedly named after the family dog.
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  (#6) He Moved Into His Girlfriend Lisa Lambert's House

  Teena violated his probation in 1993 and subsequently moved out of the county and in with a new friend, Lisa Lambert, in an attempt to avoid another arrest and prison time. They lived in a dilapidated farmhouse in a rural area, along with Lambert's baby from a previous relationship.

  Teena's new group of friends in the area included 17-year-old Lana Tisdel, her older sister Leslie, Lana's ex-boyfriend (and former convict) John Lotter, and his pal Marvin Nissen. The new friend group spent a lot of time hanging out, with Teena reportedly taking an interest in the younger Tisdel sister. The men purportedly assumed Teena was a biological male. 
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  (#12) A Documentary About Teena Shed Light On The Sheriff's Negligence

  Filmmakers Gréta Olafsdóttir and Susan Muska produced The Brandon Teena Story in 1998. The film was well-received critically, nominated for a GLAAD award and winning honors at both the Berlin Film Festival and the Vancouver Film Festival. 

  The documentary uncovered and publicly broke Sheriff Laux's interrogation of Teena after he first reported the assault, highlighting a clear lapse in the sheriff's commitment to duty. The filmmakers used transcripts of calls and reports, previously unreleased footage, photos of Teena, and a few recreated scenes to frame the narrative. It also interviewed several of the key players in the events leading up to December 31, 1993.

  According to a review of the film in Variety magazine:

  One of the most disturbing segments of the film is the recording of an interview in which, after Brandon’s rape, he was quizzed by Falls City’s sheriff, whose prejudice against homosexuality and transsexuality is evident throughout the exchange. Dealing with a youth who has just undergone an extremely traumatic experience, the law officer shows scant sympathy or insight into Brandon’s plight.

  Teena's case turned out to be an important one for prosecuting crimes against LGBTQ+-identifying people.
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  (#5) He Was In And Out Of Trouble For Two Years Before His Death

  Teena began dating girls in 1990 and launched a string of relationships and brief engagements that continued over the next few years. In order to treat the women he dated in a way he felt they deserved, Teena turned to theft to secure the needed cash. He took ATM cards, forged checks, snagged credit cards, and allegedly even used the money of the women he was dating to buy them presents. Auto theft, forgery, and petty theft were among the 18 crimes with which Teena was charged by the time of his death.

  In October 1991, Teena was arrested for forgery; he received 18 months of probation in March 1992. He missed court dates and probation-related sessions with counselors, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest in 1993. He moved to Falls City, NE, in November 1993 and was held under a false name soon after. While in court on December 15, 1993, for that charge, he was caught for another forgery of checks.

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