The public was shocked by Newsweek’s article featuring a former death row inmate and convicted murderer who is transitioning into a woman, calling it a “puff piece.”
In 2010, Steven Joseph Hayes was sentenced to death for killing a Connecticut mother and her two daughters during a burglary attempt. In 2015, his death sentence was changed to life without parole.
Hayes, now known as Linda Mai Lee, has transitioned and shared exclusive comments with Newsweek, expressing comfort in living as a woman.
“For the first time in my life, I am happy to be alive and do not want to die,” Lee told Newsweek.
Steven Joseph Hayes was convicted of murdering a woman and her two daughters and was originally given the death penalty. (Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)
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Many criticized the article for portraying a convicted murderer as a victim due to being transgender.
Civil liberties attorney Laura Powell wrote, “This man held a family of four hostage in their home for hours, beating them, raping the 11-year-old daughter and the mother, then strangling the mother, and finally setting the house on fire, killing both children from smoke inhalation. Newsweek now publishes a puff piece on how he is now happy and at peace since he came to terms with his gender confusion. They claim his ‘former anger’ had been fueled by this distress. Now he is seeking treatments to feminize his appearance. (Undoubtedly funded by taxpayers.) You don’t hate the media enough.”
Live Action founder Lila Rose commented, “A man convicted for the murder and rape of a mother and her two young daughters has a puff piece in Newsweek today about how happy he is now that he has ‘transitioned’ and gets to live in a WOMEN’S prison and wear lipstick and ‘panties.’ Unbelievable evil.”
Author Helen Joyce questioned, “He raped an 11-year-old and her mother and murdered both, as well as the 11-year-old’s sister. And we’re supposed to pity him because his crimes were supposedly because of his confusion about his gender identity? And to give a toss that he’s ‘happy to be alive’?”
“He murdered a mother and her two daughters and raped two of them before doing so. But now he’s kind of sorry for what he did, but he’s also at peace with it. The feel-good story of the year,” National Review columnist Becket Adams remarked.
“’I raped and murdered a little girl and her mother, and murdered the teenage daughter, because of my feminine gender identity’ Siri show me the definition of ‘misogynistic garbage.’ Shame on Newsweek for publishing this repulsive crap,” British columnist Hadley Freeman added.
“Newsweek is total trash. Used to be a respected and respectable. No more,” former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova expressed.
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In the Newsweek article, Lee (formerly Hayes) acknowledged the murders as “wrong on every level” and as behavior stemming from addiction and gender identity issues. Newsweek also reported on Lee’s diagnosis of gender dysphoria at age 16 and how societal intolerance may have played a role in the crimes.
Hayes began transitioning to Linda Mai Lee while in prison. (Fox News Digital)
“Had Lee accepted herself earlier, Hawke-Petit and her daughters may still be alive,” the article concluded.
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