On April 18, two people beat a transgender woman, Chrissy Lee Polis, after using the women’s bathroom in a Maryland McDonald’s, according to Jessica Anderson of the Baltimore Sun.
In the video of the attack, an employee and another individual are seen trying to stop the beating, while others watch laughing, including other McDonald’s employees. Polis was beaten to the point of having a seizure.
In the aftermath of the violence, Polis described herself as afraid to go outside because of the brutality she endured.
This fear acknowledges the lack of safety people who identify themselves as transgender face in a society that overwhelmingly upholds and privileges conforming to the gender roles we were assigned to at birth.
In 2009, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) released a report titled, “Hate Violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People in the United States.”
NCAVP found that 12 percent of reported incidents contained an anti-transgender bias. In addition, 13 percent of victims and survivors were transmen or transwomen. Sadly, in 2008 there were 29 anti-LGBT murders.
Because of the hostile environment toward transgender individuals, 33.2 percent of transgender youth have attempted suicide, according to an article by Kristen Clements-Nolle, Rani Marx and Mitchell Katz in the Journal of Homosexuality.
Taylor Cruz, a marketing junior at ASU and the president of genderWHAT?!, described what happened to Polis as upsetting.
According to Cruz, “by not having representation of gender within positions of power,” people are afraid and their voices are not heard.
The violence in Maryland is one horrific example of many abuses and systematic instances of discrimination targeted at both transgender people and the broader LGBTQ community.
Jim Vertuno of The Associated Press reported that Texas legislators set in motion legislation to repeal transgender marriage rights passed a mere two years prior.
Similar to Arizona, the Texas constitution has the bigoted definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. Unlike Arizona though, in 2009 Texas passed legislation that sanctioned transgender marriages.
If the law were to pass, it would wrongfully ban transgender marriages and potentially nullify existing ones as well.
Between the hate crime in Maryland and the discriminatory law in Texas, more education and action should be taken to further create a space where gender fluidity is both accepted and embraced.
According to Terry Jones, a justice studies junior and USG government relations staff member, up until recently the University has not had any inclusive non-discriminatory policy on gender.
“Because the University is so big, marginalized communities are often left out,” said Jones. “The focus is instead on academics and colleges as opposed to minority groups.”
On behalf of USG, Jones is currently working in collaboration Residential Life and the LGBTQ Coalition to ensure that students have a comfortable on-campus living option with a gender-neutral housing initiative.
Both Jones and Cruz shared stories about students identifying as LGBTQ who were uncomfortable with living in the dorms because of discrimination.
Even in light of recent hatred and intolerance, ASU will progress only if we push hard enough. Will you stand up and fight?
Reach Athena at asalman3@asu.edu
