{"article":{"id":185092,"heading":"UPDATE ON: MCDONALDS MANAGER ASSAULTS TRANSGENDER WOMAN OF COLOR","author":"el lobo del mar","created":"2006-10-27 04:56:28","modified":"2006-10-27 04:56:28","last_modified":"Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:56:28","article":"
UPDATE ON: MCDONALDS MANAGER ASSAULTS TRANSGENDER WOMAN OF COLOR
* Post widely *
TransJustice is a Project of
The Audre Lorde Project,
a LGBTST People of Color Center
for Community Organizing
(718) 596-0342 ext 18
National Action Alert: MCDONALDS MANAGER ASSAULTS TRANSGENDER WOMAN OF
COLOR WITH LEAD PIPE; NYPD REFUSES TO ACCEPT HER COMPLAINT \/Call Inspector
McCarthy and Officer Bonner at NYPD Midtown South PCT to Demand anti-trans
violence complaint is filed Tel. (212) 239-9811
On July 10th, 2006 at 10pm, Christina Sforza, a transgender woman ate with
her friends at the McDonald's at 341 5th Ave. After eating, she tried to
use the bathroom. The men's bathroom was out of order and all evening men
and women were using the women's bathroom. She asked the person behind
the counter which bathroom she should use and was told to use the women's
bathroom. The victim is diabetic and entered the bathroom to give herself
an insulin injection. While she was in the bathroom, she heard someone
banging on the door yelling that they were going to \"kill her.\" She
waited a moment and then opened the door. An employee in a blue
McDonald's shirt began beating her with a lead pipe and telling her he was
going to \"kill her.\" He used anti-gay and homophobic language. He hit her
on her arms and in the groin area with the pipe while the rest of the
McDonald's staff cheered and chanted, \"kill the faggot.\"
The victim's friend called the police. When they arrived they refused to
let her speak and arrested her for assault. During this time, the victim
discovered that the man with the pipe was a manager. They left her bag at
McDonald's and it contained all her medication, which she must take four
times a day.
After the victim was released from jail, she attempted to file a complaint
against the Manager at McDonalds on six separate occasions; July 18th,
July 21st, July 23rd, July 26th, August 3rd, and August 7th. On each of
these occasions, her request was denied and she encountered harassment,
extremely long wait periods, and was threatened with arrest for \"filing a
false report.\"
The determined victim went to the precinct alone, with legal advocates,
and with friends. Each time her request was denied. In addition, her
attorney, Pooja Gehi, of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project has demanded that
the arresting officer allow her to file a complaint. She supplied
photographic evidence of the victim's injuries as well as eyewitness
testimony from people who were at the incident. This too, was denied.
The officer informed Ms. Gehi that the \"case was closed.\" The Victim filed
a Complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) about the
police. But this is unlikely to help her in any way. Ms. Gehi states,
\"This incident was illegal on multiple levels; my client was assaulted,
discriminated against, denied her medication, falsely arrested, and denied
her basic right to file a complaint against her assailant.\"
Now, the victim of a brutal, public assault faces criminal consequences
because of a false arrest and a transphobic perpetrator.
*****
TransJustice, the Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color
political group, is demanding that the NYPD, allow her to file a compliant
and to stop their historic discrimination as well as brutality against
Transgender people. The group is calling for police accountability in
regards to the treatment of NYC Trans and Gender Non-Conforming
communities. TransJustice is calling on elected officials, community
leaders and social justice activists to support this effort.
\n","contact":"lyndallamas29th@hotmail.com","link":"http:\/\/www.xanga.com\/buria","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"just a little something to show we still have along way to go","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2006\/10\/185092.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}