Judging from what I've read about Brandon, I'd say that he sounded like a FTM transsexual. FTM means female to male. He was planing on SRS and his male friends found out that he was born a female and they killed him for not being of the right gender.
The media which is not well informed on transgender issues prolly protrayed him as a very butch lesbian.
Homophobia certainly played a part in his death though