A perfect storm
T-Notes
by Robbi Cohn | May 28, 2011
http://goqnotes.com/11212/a-perfect-storm/One Maryland trans activist called it a "perfect storm." Barely a week after the state's proposed Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Act died in committee, a brutal and unconscionable attack on a Baltimore-area trans woman occurred at a local McDonalds restaurant. This event captured the nation after the video of this unprovoked beating went viral. Sadly, this was not a one-in-a-million occurrence or even one in a thousand. This kind of brutality has become virtually commonplace. You can bet that everyday, somewhere, a trans person is in the midst of a verbal and/or physically violent attack.
In dealing with trans discrimination issues, there are often several recognizable elements that typify these events. Most common are employment issues, public accommodations issues and hate crime issues; but, as set forth in my March 5, 2011, column, "Injustice at Every Turn," there are many particulars wherein trans persons find they have not been accorded a level playing field. We don't always have a clear path to determining the core issues — it's often a combination of many factors.
