Online: | |
Visits: | |
Stories: |
Washington D.C. law enforcement charged a security guard at a Giant Grocery Store with “simple assault” after a transgender woman said the guard pushed her out of the women’s restroom.
Ebony Belcher, said she went to the Giant in North East D.C. with a good friend to pick-up a delivery from the Western Union.
During her visit to the she asked a store employee where the restroom was and passed by a female security officer positioned in the hallway.
According to Ebony Belcher a security guard fallowed her into the restroom, and informed her to get out.
“She opened the door and came in and started calling me derogatory names,” Belcher said.
Belcher reported that the officer put her hand on her shoulder and arm, snapped her and forced her out of the store.
In addition, Ms. Belcher stated the guard told her, “You guys can not keep coming in here and using our women’s restroom. They did not pass the law yet.”
After she left the store, Ms. Belcher called police and reported the incident after.
In accordance to a police report, police officers arrested the guard after the confrontation.
The police officers reviewed CCTV video footage from the store and afterwards charged and arrested the guard with” simple assault”.
What!
“Simple assault”?
Ebony Belcher explained to NBC she has Parkinson’s disease.
In which restricts her mobility, and she almost fell, when the guard removed her from the store.
In a statement, the Giant Grocery Store claimed the security guard involved in the episode was a third party vendor and directed additional questions to police.
A company representative for Giant took a long time to comment on clarification on the store’s bathroom policy.
Seventy percent of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals reported encountering verbal assault, physical assault and getting denied restroom access.
Last Friday, the Obama administration instructed all United States public schools and universities to permit transgender students gain access to to bathrooms consistent with their gender identity.
North Carolina’s controversial and predominately unenforceable HB2, “bathroom bill,” has captivated a nationwide debate about discrimination towards transgender individuals and their right to use restrooms that concur to their gender identity for their own privacy and safety.
What are your thoughts on this?
We would like to know what you think.