When Is It Going to Stop?
 

I know there is a thread already for remembering trans people lost to violence, but I really thought this deserved its own thread. Trans people are still systematically discriminated against, beaten, harrassed and killed and it seems all some people can do is sit back and laugh or act like trans people are overreacting.

The below link is to a video of a transwoman being brutally beaten by a group of women at a McDonald's in Baltimore. The video is really disturbing and I had trouble watching it all the way through, so consider yourself warned.

What's so horrible is that only the McDonald's manager and an elderly woman tried to stop the group of women from beating this transwoman. Other employees stood back and watched, laughing while filming the scene on their cellphones. What the fuck kind of idiot does that? A person is being assaulted in front of you by a group of people and you sit back and laugh, trying to catch it on film? They're lying there bleeding and you do nothing? When is this shit going to stop?

http://www.bilerico.com/2011/04/tran..._mcdonalds.php

This type of behavior is so sickening. I want to vomit after watching that, and I didn't finish all the way through it.

The gay and lesbian community has people like Ellen, Elton John, and Barney Frank to name just a few people who are out and proud in the public sphere. I cannot think of anyone besides Chaz Bono who has that kind of presence in public life to put a face to our diverse community. If people don't know who we are they are much more likely to feel comfortable treating us like dirt.

We need to stand up for ourselves and for trans allies to stand up for us too, and together, let people know that this won't be tolerated or swept under the rug.

For those of you reading this who aren't trans identified, will YOU stand with us to fight this hate?

I wrote an e-mail to McDonalds and attached the video to the e-mail

Violence has become entertainment for many people. Sad, but true.

We are romans laughing at the despair of others without the bread. You've gotta wonder if this is why civilizations fall. When people become so disillusioned or perhaps so desensitized to violence that most people will not step in, humanity falls another step down. It's beyond upsetting. These morons have allowed themselves to dehumanize someone simply because they are different. This may not make sense to some but you have to wonder who really is commiting the worse crime. The morons who tried to kill the poor woman or the punk who filmed it all for a laugh.

Bump.....,

...and people wonder why I dislike being outed?

I thought, at first, people are warning about this video (here and in the comments on that website), I shouldn't watch it. But, words cannot describe brutality. So, I watched it.

This HAS to be seen.

We cannot cross our arms, and look elsewhere.

Those people are evil. EVIL. Reminds me of the recent thread about knowing psychopaths. These people are all psychopaths.

Laughing and filming her while she was having a seizure, from all the kicks and punches to her head. Seeing that elder woman nearly throwing herself on top of her, to try and protect her. She almost got beaten, too. The manager doing nothing! Half-heartedly telling the women to stop their attacks. Looking at the woman while she was having a seizure, and just walking away.

Watch the video. Do not turn your back on her, like these... non-people did.

This place is within driving distance for me. If anyone hears of any events to raise awareness at this location please post it up/PM me.

Thanks.

ETA: Article in local paper mentioned in article: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,4613709.story

Additional note: This incident appears to have occured in Baltimore County, MD, not Baltimore, MD.

No, we cannot remain idle. The video was really difficult to watch, really difficult. It is everywhere- and it does have to stop. For transpeople and everyone else that society can't or won't understand.

Just last week another transwoman was attacked in SF. Freakin' SF!! As a butch, I won't ride rapid transit here in the East Bay alone at night.

Assaults againt transwomen and men and all gender variant people has to be addressed in solidarity among the entire LGBTIQ community- ALL organizations representing us need to join forces and be LOUD with outrage and clear about not taking this!

We live in a society in which this goes on as well as things like the gang rape of a 16 year old girl at her HS prom here in CA as up to 30 other teens watched and did NOTHING!!!

They have an area on their website under social responsibilities that u can send en email to..Id love to see them get thousands of emails.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/conta...nsibility.html

Thanks for the responses, folks. This truly is horrific, and from what I just read this morning it seems this woman's rights might get trampled on again because the law is not suited to protect her.

The transwoman has not been named at this point, but Equality Maryland has apparently confirmed that yes, she was a 22 year old transgender woman. Two arrests have been made thus far of an 18 year old woman and a 14 year old girl.

And then the story just goes downhill. Apparently recently the state of Maryland refused to pass a bill that would allow trans people to use the appropriate washroom. The attack apparently occurred over the use of the McDonald's bathroom, and the article speculates that the case will be dismissed because she won't be seen a as a woman trying to use the women's washroom, but as a man. If they dismiss this case they're pretty much giving the green light to any asshole to go beat up a trans person and get away with it. There is no excuse for assaulting someone like this.

http://www.tmrzoo.com/2011/24106

If a state is not going to allow laws protecting trans people as far as which bathroom they can use, then it at least needs to address the issue of...which fucking bathroom is it safe to use? Make more gender neutral washrooms if you're not going to protect people's basic right to use a washroom. This could have just as well have happened had this woman tried to use the men's bathroom. What is she supposed to do?

Just last week or the week before there was a rally by the SanFran lgbt community over the beating over another transwoman, and I hope this brutality brings people out to speak out against it in the same way. There needs to be a way for the entire community of lgbt folks everywhere to come together against this kind of violence, and put up a fight to end this kind of violence.

And I agree, this is a problem that faces the entire lgbt community and all gender variant people.

Ms and i both called McDonalds last night. They have already sent a team of corporate investigators to the location to try and evaluate what happened and to evaluate the needs of the person that was assaulted. They are encouraging people to call the toll free hot line and comment if they feel the need to do so. They do ask for contact information.

1-800-244-6227
7 days a week
7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. CST

Wow, that last article especially is really upsetting.

And ignorance very obviously came into play here. She wasn't trans because she still had her "male parts" (how does he even know that?)? Really? So transwomen who haven't been able to afford SRS aren't trans now? Geez, ain't that great. I'm glad we have this genius around to tell us who is and isn't trans.

And I think the fact that this was transphobia is pretty blatant in the language used. Throughout the attack the attackers keep calling her "a bitch" and other similar words. Why would they have called her that if they truly thought she was just a "man" trying to get into the women's washroom. I also question whether she would have been attacked so viciously if they truly thought she was a man trying to harrass them in the washroom. She was barely fighting back, and either way you don't continue to beat the crap out of someone who can't even fight back. Whether they admit it or not they attacked her because they knew they could, they knew she was vulnerable and probably because they thought she was a "freak." People probably stood back and watched for the same damn reason.

I should have finished my thought, which was that if we DO allow this to keep us hidden, (I don't even like using "us" here because I am not TG and have no idea what struggles they have first hand, but I do have empathy in this situation) they keep the power. This video should be enough to cause outrage. It will keep some people hidden, but I hope it doesn't!

I don't believe in giving attention to negative attention (Churches who gay bash, for example) but I believe when it is this extreme it needs to exposed to everyone.

Unfortunately, in Maryland, the answer is "be the male you are and use the men's room And look like a guy if you don't want to get beat up there."

petition
 

http://www.change.org/petitions/dema...-a-trans-woman

please consider signing..

I truly hope this events helps open their eyes. I want to see how this case unfolds, because surely they cannot dimiss this. They surely can't deny that this was an assault inspired by hatred or that something needs to be done to protect trans people.

@weatherboi and Dreams, thanks for linking us to the petition. I've signed it and passed it on. I hope everyone does the same!

That would certainly be fantastic, Ender, but I don't hold out much hope.

This just happened in February in Baltimore:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news...ruggled_f.html

Thanks for sharing the article, Dapper. This happens far too often. One thing that I hoped would spark change in this case is that it was caught on tape and happened in front of a number of witnesses who did nothing. I don't know why I thought that would make a difference, but I thought if they could actually see the brutality many transwomen face for themselves they would finally understand how badly transfolks need legal protection.

One thing I noticed with the article about Tyra as well as Crissy (and in articles on other transwomen who have been beaten or murdered) is that the reporters always see fit to include criminal records that include prostitution as well as charges related to poverty and prostitution. Why is this relevant to their deaths? Are the reporters implying that it is relevant? The sad reality for many transwomen is that their circumstances force them into sex work that often puts them in situations where they might suffer even more abuse. Those writing about their abuse and/or murder should take that into consideration when they start revealing these things to the public.

Calling her a bitch, etc- it is misogyny and sexism in addition to transphobia. Every time I hear about a transwoman (and almost always transmen as well) being denigrated it is full of not only transphobic language but language that denigrates women as well. Transwomen are denied being seen as women or taken seriously as women, but at the same time subjected to the worst sexism and misogyny imaginable.

This has been the case for women in general forever. Transwomen are certainly among the highest populations to be assaulted and killed within gender variant groups, yet, so much comes down to misogyny.

I am also thinking about transmen that have been assaulted because they arn't real men.

As the season of many Pride events is upon us, I hope there is more awareness of these kinds of hate crimes promoted. We all need to make a lot more noise about these crimes.

A lot of ridiculous shit is being said in the media now. The article below is picking up on a trend in some media sources and blogs talking about this being a "racially motivated" hate crime. I am literally fuming right now and here is why (and posted this in the comments in site below as well):

a) calling this anything else than transphobia and even neglecting to call it transphobia (ie. "racially motivated") seems like they are covering up the severity and brutal reality of transphobia. b) it attempts to pit marginalized group against marginalized group instead of looking at it as cisgender women (or in other cases, cis people in general) assaulting a trans person solely because they are trans.

When is mainstream society going to take a good hard look at transphobia? It doesn't help that half of them don't even know what being transgender means. Homophobia is a term recognised in the mainstream, and I wish transphobia carried the same status as far as awareness of existence. The lack of awareness renders many transfolks invisible in these cases.

http://www.bilerico.com/2011/04/mcdo...ied_camera.php

But I am heartened by the fact that the petition going around has jumped from 4000 to 10,000 signatures in a matter of hours. When I read the comments on the petition I am both heartened and made aware of how much work there is to be done in educating people. I'm glad that many are appalled by the violence this transwoman faced at the hands of those two girls. But many seem to think transwoman = gay man in stereotypical female clothing. That needs to change. Their heart seems to be in the right place though.

Also, the "cameraman" has been fired, which I'm happy to hear. I think he should face charges, though, considering he was egging the girls on, telling them to leave before the police came and generally acting like this woman deserved to be assaulted.

I agree, this woman was very brave for stepping in the way she did. I read that apparently she was also punched in the face as well when she first tried to step in. Authorities noticed that she had a lot of redness around one eye congruent with being struck. It's sad that someone who tries to defend another person in trouble is assaulted for wanting to defend them. This whole story is so wrong on so many levels.

The victim has commented on the attack and says she's been frightened to leave her home since it happened:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,3336656.story

and then they go and write this:

The first part of this sentence has nothing to do with the last. What does having a record have to do with planning to take legal action on someone who assaults you?

@Daywalker, I agree with you. Also, if it was racially motivated I doubt the events would have transpired over the use of a public washroom. If she had simply been a white ciswoman I don't think they would have started randomly assaulting her for being in a public washroom.

It also reads:

It's not the first time, Polis said, that she's been picked on — physically — because of her sexual preferences. She said she's been subjected to beatings and even sexual assaults.

Ender, I appreciate you posting updates as they came in.

I noticed in the first article the police said they would "upgrade" (my quotes), it to a hate crime if they found it to be racially motivated. It was said right on the heels of Equality Maryland speaking out (about her being trans...which DOESN'T relate...I remember thinking it strange that they put it in the same paragraph as Equality MD's statement).

In the State of MD hate crimes do not include gender identity. It does include race.

If upgraded to a hate crime the penalities are more severe. I would wonder that if it is upgraded, what is the police's motivation/reason for doing so?

1) because they want the suspects to get a stiffer sentence b/c they care about transpeople?

2) because the people in charge of making that decision are of a different race than African-American and are fueled by there own racism?

3) because it makes the police/state look good to apply the hate crime law?

4) because the police force/state gets something material out of calling it a hate crime (government money, other "bonuses"?)?

Don't know, but I doubt it is number one...