World and people

By Marty Graham

SAN DIEGO - A 45-year-old transgender woman who
received illegal silicone injections at a party in a private
home in San Diego has died after nearly a month on life
support, the county medical examiner said on Monday.

Patricio Gonzalez, who police said received silicone
injections to her hips, buttocks, cheeks and lips, died on
Sunday. Gonzalez and at least nine other people were injected
at a so-called "pumping party" on June 19, police said.

"Pumping parties," where people seeking a more feminine
appearance have silicone injected into their bodies, have been
on the upswing in the last few years, experts say. The silicone
used at the parties is often industrial-grade material like
floor sealant.

The Food and Drug Administration banned direct injections
of silicone in 1992 and the substance has been known to migrate
within the body and cause chronic, degenerative illnesses.

Gonzalez and another transgender woman received more
silicone than the other party guests and suffered immediate
respiratory problems, prompting the Los Angeles-area woman who
was administering the silicone to flee, police said.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Sammia "Angelica"
Gonzalez, 39, who was injecting the party guests with silicone,
is believed to have fled to Mexico.

The second transgender woman, 30, was also comatose after
the party. There was no update on her condition from police on
Monday.

Deaths stemming from "pumping parties" are on the rise,
with at least five fatalities reported in Florida, Texas and
Georgia since 2003.

The illegal silicone injections are in demand because it
remains cheaper and easier than plastic surgery, said Dr.
Walter Bockting, the coordinator of transgender health services
at the University of Minnesota's Center for Human Sexuality.

Transgender women often have humiliating experiences with
traditional surgery clinics, and surgeons often require a
psychological exam before they will consider treatment, he
said.

"The greatest danger is that people don't know what they're
getting," Bockting said. "People are very vulnerable because of
the self-esteem issues they suffer from and they are willing to
risk long-term disaster to feel better."

A.J. Davis, public policy director for the San Diego Gay
and Lesbian Community Center, said the center does everything
it can to discourage silicone injections.

"We talk to people about the dangers and we provide lots of
information for nonsurgical alternatives," she said.

# posted by Mike @ 8:00 PM