TODAY, August 25, Majority Leader Van Bramer, Make the Road New York, the New York City Anti-Violence Project, Public Advocate Tish James, Comptroller Scott Stringer, and numerous community members rallied to end violence against trans women. This rally came on the heels of an attack that occurred last week in Woodside.
Last Wednesday morning, a transgender woman was attacked in Woodside at the intersection of 67thStreet and 41st Avenue. A man hit the 28-year old woman in the head with a hammer after yelling, “This is what you get for being gay.” The victim was treated at Elmhurst hospital and has since been released.
Sadly, this was not the first instance of anti-trans violence in New York City this year. In January, Jennifer Louise Lopez, a transgender woman, was forced to undergo emergency surgery after being attacked on a D train in Harlem. Not long after, in March, a transgender woman was sexually assaulted in the bathroom of the Stonewall Inn. As recently as this past May, two transgender women were assaulted in Brooklyn—one on the 4 train and one in Park Slope. In Queens so far in 2016, there have been ten reported incidents of violence against transgender individuals.
“There is no room for hatred or transphobia in our community—or anywhere,” said Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer. “Our trans neighbors should be able to go about their daily lives without living in fear of a vicious attack like the one that happened last week. We must come together as one community and demand an end to violence. We will not stop until New York City is a safe, accepting, and compassionate city for all.”
“We are shocked and saddened by the incident that happened last week in Woodside,” said Bianey Garcia, LGBTQ Organizer at Make the Road New York. “The victim was just walking home. This year we have seen over 10 incidents against transgender individuals in Queens. This neighborhood is also my home and we will not tolerate and sit quiet while we see one of our community members being attacked. We demand an end to all gender violence. An attack to a fellow translatina is an attack to all of us.”
“AVP is deeply saddened by this most recent anti-trans incident of violence that has occurred in our city,” said LaLa Zannell, New York City Anti-Violence Project Lead Organizer. “As this country continues to see the epidemic of violence that transgender women of color are facing it is on each and every one of us to stand up and make a city and country where anti-trans violence is no longer tolerated and instead transgender women of color are valued in society and the root causes of violence like joblessness and homelessness are addressed.”
“Too often, transgender New Yorkers are subjected to atrocious acts of hate and violence,” said Public Advocate Letitia James. “Whether walking home from a club, riding the subway, or grocery shopping, violence against any group of New Yorkers will never be tolerated. New York City is a fabric woven of diverse communities, sexual orientations faiths, ethnicities and genders and we all have a moral responsibility to stand together and speak out against this bigotry.”
“No New Yorker should feel threatened or be attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “While I am glad that the victim of this horrific attack is expected to make a full recovery, this incident underscores the dangers our transgender community faces each and every day. We must redouble our efforts to speak up for our transgender neighbors and create a safer, more accepting City for all.”
“I am saddened to hear that a trans woman was viciously attacked with a hammer simply for just living her life,” said Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, Chair of the LGBT Caucus. “It is clear that our nation is in crisis and violence has reached epidemic proportions. Transgender women of color are at more risk of being attacked and being a victim of hate violence. I ask all New Yorkers to assist in stopping these attacks and to report any information that will identify the attacker.”
From 2013-2015, at least 53 transgender individuals were murdered in the United States. Almost 90% of the victims were transgender people of color, and a similar proportion were transgender women. The trans community, and in particular transgender women of color, face added barriers: 41% of black and 27% of Latino/a transgender individuals have faced homelessness at some point in their lives.
About Make the Road New York
Make the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of Latino and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. We have 19,000+ members and operate five community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; and Brentwood, Long Island.
About the New York City Anti-Violence Project
AVP empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education, and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy.
