justice Archives | Stop Street Harassment

USA: Maya Young and Transgender Homicides

February 25, 2016 By Correspondent

Kathleen Moyer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, SSH Blog Correspondent

Maya Young, a 25-year-old transgender woman of color, was stabbed to death in the Frankford section of Philadelphia late Saturday night. According to police, she was found lying in the street with multiple stab wounds to her chest and neck before being rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died 20 minutes later.

No arrests have been made in the case yet. The city is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of her killer. People with tips can call 215-686-3334.

While investigators are still searching for a motive, the brutal murder of Young seems to reflect the murders of Keisha Jenkins and London Chanel – two transgender women of who were killed in Philadelphia last year. These murders are part of a pattern of increased transgender homicides across the United States. Statistics indicate that transgender homicide is becoming an epidemic, especially among women of color like Young, Jenkins, and Chanel.

In 2015, 23 transgender people were killed – the highest annual total since advocacy groups began keeping a record of transgender murder rates. Nineteen of those victims were transgender women of color. According to a 2013 report on LGBT hate violence by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, transgender women are the victims of 72% of LGBT homicides, and 89% of LGBT homicide victims are people of color.

Statistics also show that violence against transgender people is not limited to physical violence; over half of transgender individuals experience verbal street harassment. A report by SAVE Dade, an LGBT advocacy group, showed that 53% of transgender people surveyed experienced harassment and disrespect in public areas. These numbers show that transgender violence is a serious problem and it’s progressively getting worse.

We have to take a stand now more than ever. The motive in the case of Maya Young may still be unclear, but it is clear that this pattern of transgender violence is not coincidental. As the LGBT community and allies mourn the loss of Young, we need to remind society that no one’s gender is up for debate. An individual is whatever he/she identifies as and it’s no one’s place to object to that, because nobody knows how that individual thinks and feels.

No one deserves to be put through hell, verbally, mentally, or physically for simply being who they are. The transgender community deserves better; it’s our responsibility, as a society, to ensure that they receive better and to bring those who harm transgender individuals to justice. For Maya. For Keisha. For London. For every transgender person who has been victimized in the past, and those who will be victimized throughout this year.

Kathleen is a full-time graduate student studying professional and business communication. She plans initiatives to increase awareness of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other related issues through her university’s anti-sexual violence group, Explorers Against Sexual Violence.

USA: Believing Kesha and Other Survivors

February 24, 2016 By Correspondent

Rupande Mehta, New Jersey, USA SSH Blog Correspondent

If there was any doubt how hard it is to prove rape, assault or any other violence against women just look at Kesha. The singer filed a lawsuit against her producer, Dr. Luke, who she claims “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused Ms. Sebert to the point where Ms. Sebert nearly lost her life.”

Unfortunately despite 10 years of rigorous abuse, the court dismissed her complaint ruling she has to continue to work with her abuser and the record company (Sony) who allowed and tolerated the abuse. (Don’t kid me that they did not know).

Am I surprised? Nope. Saddened? Incredibly.

I am sad because there is yet another victim of abuse who has to live through the travesties of the legal system who has sided against her and with the guys in the fancy suits who claim to have spent a lot of money on her career and rightfully deserve their share of returns. Heartbroken that yet again a corporation is put ahead of human lives that endure incredible pain and anguish to have to continue to survive with such a dismal reality. Distraught that despite her tribulation, Kesha failed to get the approval of the justice system and has to continue working with the man who vehemently abused her.

Such injustice, though, happens every day, everywhere. Every day an abuser walks free and the victim is put through the ringer. Every day a victim sobs uncontrollably as the judge delivers a verdict that makes her worst nightmares come true. Every day another victim repeats her story millions of times and no one believes her.

Courts need evidence and when victims fail to provide any proof, they are deemed erratic. When victims change their narrative they are described unreliable or unworthy of stating the truth. But tell me, after you’ve been raped are you thinking about gathering evidence? Are you thinking about being so glib that your narrative never changes? Or are you dealing with the trauma that someone just handed down to you? Ask those who have been raped and they will tell you they never get their story straight the first time because their memory is not linear and comes back only in patches.

So what can we do?

Well for once, the justice system needs to realize the trauma resulting from rape and other assaults and consider it. In Kesha’s case, the judge saw it simply as a contract dispute and ruled in favor of Sony but the truth is more than that. Sony’s lawyers must have done an exceptional job of ruining Kesha’s reputation in the court room and making her sound like a vindictive woman out for blood. Her previous testimony denying that Dr. Luke never put a hand on her, I am sure, was wittingly used against her. For many this may raise the question whether Kesha was lying then or now. Unfortunately only Kesha knows the answer but having been through trauma and assault, I will stand by her side.

Kesha lost a big battle with the Supreme Court. Thankfully she had the means to do so and garner incredible support afterwards from the public who are demanding Sony #FreeKesha.

Celebrities like Taylor Swift are contributing money so Sony would let Kesha out of her contract. Although my heart goes out to her and her suffering, I cannot help but wonder how many don’t have what Kesha does. How many women, on a daily basis, are unable to access services or support with their story untold or not believed?

How many of us are harassed on a daily basis be at work or home or even in the streets? I often look at women passing me and wonder what, if any, trauma do they suffer from and why? Who called them unjustified names and put labels on them that forced them to have weight issues or eating disorders or anger or rage?

Why do the courts not look past this and understand that the issues of the psyche stem from the issues of harassment and if someone is experiencing them it is likely due to a deeper, more profound reason?

We live in a society where those who tell their story are not believed. Is it a surprise then that most of these cases go unreported? And how do you think cases like Kesha’s impact those abused women? The Supreme Court may have ruled for Sony but in the process it did an immense disservice to millions of women out there who were contemplating speaking up.

Rupande grew up in Mumbai, India, and now resides in the U.S. She has an MBA and is currently working towards her MPA, looking to specialize in Non Profit Management. You can find her writing on her blog at Rupande-mehta.tumblr.com or follow her on Twitter @rupandemehta.

Prison for Street Harasser in Egypt

October 24, 2008 By HKearl

Street harassment in Egypt is in the news a lot lately, and this week the BBC reports on yet another newsworthy street harassment story about a harasser who is receiving a prison sentence.

In June, Noha Rushdi Saleh was repeatedly groped and harassed by the defendant while she was walking down the street. Passers-by told her not to go to the police and some blamed her for provoking the attack [surely any woman would love to be groped while minding her own business in public]. She had to literally drag the man to the police station and initially the police refused to open an investigation. The man was found guilty recently and has been jailed for three years with hard labor and must pay 5,001 Egyptian pounds to Ms. Saleh for the attack.

The BBC reports: “The case was taken up by the Badeel opposition daily, which blamed Egypt’s oppressive government, and ‘the majority of citizens who identified with the oppressor’, and ‘decades of incitement against women’ in some mosques …”

“Egyptian women’s rights campaigners have praised the judge for handing down what is being seen as a harsh, exemplary sentence.”

The article also reports something I missed in the news:

“In an unusual development earlier in October, eight men were arrested in Cairo for allegedly taking part in a mob-style sexual attack on women pedestrians.

The attack, during the Eid holiday, was reminiscent of an incident in 2006 during the same holiday which marks the end of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

On both occasions, witnesses reported that police officers were present but did nothing to protect women who were violently groped and had some of their clothing torn off.”

Thoughts? Was a jail sentence too harsh? Not harsh enough? Just right? I’m glad Ms. Saleh had the courage to fight him, report him, and fight the police to eventually receive justice.