When Is It Going to Stop?

[EnderD_503]

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

"My record's got nothing to do with what happened in McDonald's," she said. "Anyone in my predicament should not be afraid to walk the streets. They should not have to go into a restaurant and get gawked at and made fun of. They shouldn't be afraid to leave the house. It's just wrong."

and then they go and write this:

Polis, who has a criminal record that includes charges of prostitution and property destruction, said she plans to take legal action against the restaurant.

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.

[Soon]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

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.

[Daywalker]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

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.

Who ever is behind that typerwriter need to give up their chair.
Her being Trans is not an indicator of her Sexual Preferences.

[AtLast]

All state hate crime laws need to include gender identity! This is a key issue in the fight for the civil rights of transgendered people in the USA. And we continue to try and get ENDA passed.....

Sometimes I just want to scream!

Oh, and Day, yes, this "reporter" really needs to do some homework about this subject matter. Yet, my guess is that the majority of the general public is as gender-ignorant as this writer which is very much related to why this happened and does everywhere.

[Heart]

This crime victim will now be subjected to the routine victim-blaming so common in the media: She has a record, she was intoxicated, she's not a "perfect victim," she brought it on herself...etc. This shifting of accountability away from the perpetrators and onto the victim continues in the criminal justice system. This is one of the primary reasons crime victims do not speak out, and do not want charges filed.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

All state hate crime laws need to include gender identity! This is a key issue in the fight for the civil rights of transgendered people in the USA. And we continue to try and get ENDA passed.....

Sometimes I just want to scream!

Oh, and Day, yes, this "reporter" really needs to do some homework about this subject matter. Yet, my guess is that the majority of the general public is as gender-ignorant as this writer which is very much related to why this happened and does everywhere.

I agree, hate crime laws do need to include gender identity and expression. In some ways I feel like "gender identity and expression" downplays the issue when it comes to transfolks, but I also recognise that it's hard to develop the language for it that includes all gender variant people. It also makes it easier for the general public to understand, I think. Anyways, all that to say that I agree...right now a new article I was reading had this quote from an investigator:

"Generally when it comes to cases that involve racial, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation from an investigative standpoint, we approach the case from the perspective of the victim," he said.

But none of these things cover her... It's also been reported that she has had SRS and I'm assuming that she's now "legally female" since the reporters have been so courteous as to not plaster her birth name in every single article like they do with many other transwomen (though they did mention it in first articles...why it's relevant I don't know). Her sexual orientation hasn't been revealed anywhere...one of her attackers apparently also started accusing her of "talking to her man" and spat in her face. Of course, that obviously clashes with them shouting "that's a dude, that's a dude and he's in the female washroom." So on the one hand the supposed worry is "she's talking to my man," and the other is this is "a dude in the female washroom"...there is no clear pattern of how they perceived her sexual orientation, but only that her sex/gender did not appear "normal" to them. They need to include gender/sex variant people in hate crime laws. Otherwise there will never be adequate protection for trans people and it's always going to be like this...a hate crime against a trans person occurs and they scramble to call it something that it isn't, or they just claim it's a "random" assault that has nothing to do with who they are.

Originally Posted by Heart

This crime victim will now be subjected to the routine victim-blaming so common in the media: She has a record, she was intoxicated, she's not a "perfect victim," she brought it on herself...etc. This shifting of accountability away from the perpetrators and onto the victim continues in the criminal justice system. This is one of the primary reasons crime victims do not speak out, and do not want charges filed.

Yeah, just read that new update saying she was intoxicated, and of course they must mention in every article that she was a sex-worker. Have the police claimed that this is relevant to the assault on her at all? Not that I've read, so it just seems like the media want to make sure we know she isn't as "innocent" as she seems. If it hadn't been caught on tape, I wonder how people would spin it to further question whether she was truly a victim. She was "lucky" in that sense, the video footage speaks volumes even though it was taken by an idiot who didn't care to help her.

Also, media like Fox are apparently continuing to put a racial spin on this. It's so angering, because it's obvious these people couldn't care less about a transwoman being beaten and are just using her pain to further their own racism. The horrific actions of her attackers had nothing to do with their race or her race.

[Diva]

I watched in horror as Crissy was attacked ~ over and over again ~ and can only imagine what might have happened to her had those maniacs successfully drug her out of the building.

Bless that woman's heart who stepped in and tried to help.

I'm not sure what kind of mentality ~ or lack thereof ~ allows a person to think it is OK to attack a person as they did. I just cannot wrap my brain around it.

I hope they get the maximum punishment.

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

They need to include gender/sex variant people in hate crime laws. Otherwise there will never be adequate protection for trans people and it's always going to be like this...a hate crime against a trans person occurs and they scramble to call it something that it isn't, or they just claim it's a "random" assault that has nothing to do with who they are.

I'm guessing we will get gender identity included in hate crimes in about 2-3 years.

Also, media like Fox are apparently continuing to put a racial spin on this. It's so angering, because it's obvious these people couldn't care less about a transwoman being beaten and are just using her pain to further their own racism. The horrific actions of her attackers had nothing to do with their race or her race.

I agree that it was not racially motivated.

-----------

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Heart

This crime victim will now be subjected to the routine victim-blaming so common in the media: She has a record, she was intoxicated, she's not a "perfect victim," she brought it on herself...etc. This shifting of accountability away from the perpetrators and onto the victim continues in the criminal justice system. This is one of the primary reasons crime victims do not speak out, and do not want charges filed.

Exactly! Think of how many victims are scrutinized by the defense at trial. They are re-victimized.