Really?! Give me a FUCKING break!!!!!!!
Ok so I came by this today on my FB and it has hit a hot button in me! When I read this and watched the video all I could think of was a friend of Kristina's and mine that is trans gender but does not have the money to pay for the hormones or the surgeries and how we have had to defend her in the past. I don't know what upsets me more the fact there was nothing truly done to stop this or the fact that this kid would be so rude and so closed minded as to video it then go on FB himself and say this poor woman was only a man wearing woman's clothes and faked the seziuer which I can assure you from experience it is not fake. I cannot believe when we are supposed to be a civilized society that we cannot even bring ourselves to stop unnecessary violence such as this.
If you would like to know what I am talking about and see the video for yourself it is behind the cut. Be fair warned the video is hard to watch.
http://unicornbooty.com/2011/04/transgender-woman-beaten-into-a-seizure-at-mcdonalds/
22-year-old Crissy Lee Polis was simply trying to use the restroom at a Baltimore area McDonald’s when she was violently attacked by two teenage girls. McDonald’s employees did nothing to stop the attack on her - nothing except film the violent assault - and after being being kicked in the head and dragged across the restaurant floor by her hair for several minutes, Polis began to seize.
Three minutes of the brutal attack were caught on video by a McDonald’s employee, ironically making him an accessory to the crime. McDonald’s employees can be seen in the video laughing at the attack, and the only person that comes to Polis’s defense is an elderly woman who attempted to protect the victim before being punched and kicked herself.
With the exception of the woman who came to Polis’ aid, everyone else in the video may be considered an accessory to the crimes committed by the attackers for either filming or simply watching the attack for several minutes. People can even be seen simply stepping over Polis’ body and looking down at her without offering assistance as she goes into a seizure.
HuffPo reports:
“This latest attack highlights the extraordinary level of violence and brutality that transgender people face in their everyday lives,” Michael Silverman, Executive Director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund told The New Civil Rights Movement. “We call upon the authorities to fully investigate this attack as a hate crime, and hope that the victim will receive some measure of justice. On average, a transgender person is murdered every month in the United States. This violence is intolerable. We all must redouble our efforts to stop hate-motivated violence directed at transgender people.” McDonald’s released a statement condemning the attack. “We are shocked by the video from a Baltimore franchised restaurant showing an assault. This incident is unacceptable, disturbing and troubling. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and employees in our restaurants. We are working with the franchisee and the local authorities to investigate this matter.”
While McDonald’s was busy speaking out against the attack in their restaurant, Vernon Hackett, the McD’s employee who filmed the assault posted these ignorant and offensive comments on his Facebook page.
It’s worth noting that just last week the Maryland Senate killed the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Bill, which would have offered protections to transgender Marylanders in housing, employment and banking. Though the bill wouldn’t have provided additional charges against the attackers in this case, the attack is an obvious hate crime and will be prosecuted as such, Maryland’s refusal to pass the bill sends a powerful message that transgender Maryland residents do not deserve protection under the law.
Statistically speaking, a transgender person is murdered every month in the United States.