Transgender Anne Frank impersonator arrested for murder

Before allegedly stabbing his own father to death, Michael Horwitz was a rising star in the LGBT scene

A transgender drag queen who describes himself as “Portland's premiere Anne Frank impersonator” has been arrested in Virginia for stabbing his father to death. In a 2018 novel, Michael Horwitz described how his family was unhappy with his lifestyle.

Horwitz, whom police named as both Michael and ‘Norah’, was arrested on Saturday and charged with second-degree murder, the Virginia Beach Police Department said in a statement. Officers had responded to a call for assistance, and found Horwitz’s father, Dr. Abbey Horwitz, suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Prior to his gender transition, Horwitz performed in Portland, Oregon, as a drag queen with the stage name ‘Menorah Horwitz’. Something of a local celebrity, Horwitz wrote a series of ‘Pride Month’ articles for the Portland Mercury in 2017, and published an autobiographical graphic novel in 2018 entitled ‘The Diary of Menorah Horwitz’.

A #trans artist & drag queen from #Portland, Ore. has been arrested in Virginia Beach, Va. and charged with murder. Michael Horwitz, who uses the fake name "Norah," allegedly stabbed her father to death in a horrific home attack.

Before identifying as a woman, Horwitz was a drag… pic.twitter.com/wBCc0cwiej

— Andy Ngô