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.