We spoke about Chrissy Lee Polis and her violent beating in a Maryland McDonald’s in class on Wednesday. Chrissy is a transgender woman and when she used the women’s restroom at a McDonald’s restaurant other restaurant patrons brutally attacked her while employees stood by to video tape and mock the situation. Advocacy groups and Chrissy are using this horrifying attack as a call to action to advance legislation surrounding these types of incidences. Merely weeks before Chrissy’s beating the Maryland legislation found the Gender Identity Ant-Discrimination Act to be not worthy of pursuing. “The bill as written would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender identity in employment, housing and credit. A provision to ban discrimination in public accommodations (which would cover restaurants) was removed by the bill’s sponsor, Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, who cited difficulty in passing the inclusive legislation because of legislators’ fear of addressing the issue of bathrooms at public accommodations.” The Anti-Transgender organizations continue to use restroom usage as the foundation for their anti-transgender arguments.
This article recognizes the silver lining of the beating as the, “outpouring of support and solidarity from people across the country with the individual who was targeted simply because of her identity, and because of her bravery to live her life authentically.” This support has refocused some attention on the Anti-Discrimination Act and people are now demanding this bill is passed. Do you think a law such as the Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act will be successful in making our society more safe and welcoming for all? Do you know of any other states with similar legislation and has it been successful?
http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/blog/a-call-to-action-alleged-hate-crime-against-maryland-trans-woman-garners-national-attention/
We here in Washington State have a non-discrimination law that includes gender identity, gender, sexual orientation, and appearance. There are 12 other states with such laws. It might not have protected Chrissy from this instance. But such a law encourages businesses to train their staff, and they might have recognized this for what it was. The bathrooms is what everyone gets emotional about. Trans people have to have access to a bathroom - everyone has to have access to a bathroom. The bathroom in the Rosedale McDonald's was single-occupant, and Chrissy was attacked anyway.
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