McDonalds and especially some of it's employees strike it big again this time.
" "Where am I supposed to go??"
The plaintive cry of a transwoman in between savage beatings as two teen girls in Baltimore respond to her mere presence with extreme violence. It seems this individual, who is clearly presenting as female, regardless of her personal identity or legal sex, attempted to use the bathroom deemed socially appropriate for her at the time."
From “The Human Eye”
http://smu-humaneye.blogspot.com/2011/04/savage-beating-of-transgender-woman.html
A woman of transsexual or transgender experience, walked into a locally owned and operated franchise of the sprawling McDonalds fast food empire. Her simple intentions were to possibly get some food and use the bathroom, but what transpired next, turned out to be a tragically abusive, inhuman orgy of transphobic esctasy. It would also be an evening where several Mcdonalds employees exposed their base predatory selves, as they facilitated and mocked the merciless beating of Chrissy Lee Polis. One employee, Vernon Hackett, laughing hysterically, recorded the assault for fun, while the other shift employees stood by watching as well. They not only verbally (and by action or inaction) disrespected her gender identity, they egged the 18 year old woman and her 14 year old female companion on! They excitedly exclaimed: "It's a man! Beat it's ass, kill the thing". The shift manager stood by as well... entertained for several minutes, until he made 2 weak attempts to shoo the girls away and sqeaking out the word "stop!" He then joined in the facillitation of violation and humilation of the woman, by encouraging the savages to get away before the police arrived and acting as a look out. By the way, the Baltimore PD was not seriously contacted until 17 minutes after the attack began.
We are then further treated to more wonderful displays of humanity as our ace videographer Vernon, continues to record the suffering of the victim as she goes into a seizure, spitting up the blood from her internal injuries. We can clearly see the shift manager walking around amused and slightly curious, staring down at Chrissy as she helplessly convulses as a result of several kicks and blows to the head. One employee was more concerned about having to clean up her blood and dime store hair extensions and real hairs that were ripped out of her scalp, than about her welfare or her life, yes quite lovely.
Sure, these "human" girls were initially worried about Chrissy speaking 3 - 4 words to one of their boyfriends ("Not now, but thanks"), as she made her way to the womens restroom -but the perpatrators and employees who supported their actions, were angry about that, when they perceived her to be transgender or transsexual, that's what helped to fuel the raging attack upon her.
In an interview with the Baltimore Sun yesterday, Polis says before she was attacked, one of the teens said Polis was a "man" using the women's restroom and accused Polis of "talking to her man."
Our fearless video person decides to upload the crime to UTube, allowing it to go viral. The dilemma here is that on the one hand, we are fortunate that this video exists, because it is almost unimpeachable criminal evidence in and of itself. yet on the other hand, it is a tool of oppression, stigmatization and humilation, created and spread around by an ignorant creep.
Chrissy Lee has been released from the hospital, after she was listed in fair ccondition. But now understandably, she is too terrified to leave her house. Yet, here's where the abuse continues: the police and media have not only disrespected her privacy and especially her identity, by portraying her as a "cross dressing male" in blaring headlines and police statments to the public and media, they have also displayed her past record of minor criminal offenses, including charges of prostitution which of course she had engaged in, in order to simply survive, eat and get beaten at greasy places like the Rosedale, MD Mcdonalds franchise. Of course she worked the street, because no one would hire her, just because she is transsexual/transgender and possibly did not "fit" American society's backward, narrow idea of what is "female" or "male".
The McDonalds franchise where this horrible event occured and the corporation of McDonalds are definitely accountable in this case, because of what's called: "Premise Security Liability" which is a civil action where a landlord or property manager can be legally held liable for injuries inflicted during a violent criminal attack committed on the rental or store property under premises liability law.
Maryland as a state, has an implicitly implied set of codes that specifically addresses this:
"Shopping mall owners and operators may be held responsible for the parking lots and common areas such as bathrooms. **Businesses may be held responsible for incidents happening within their stores**. Banks may be held liable for incidents occurring at their ATM machine or lobbies."
Since the McDonalds franchise located in Baltimore (specifically in it's subcommunity of Rosedale), is considered a "satellite" business unit of the main corporation, it is an economic "arm" that represents it. The same code of Premise Security Liability applies to McDonalds Coporate, they had to request permission from the Baltimore city, county and state, to operate. Therefore, McDonalds Coporate is responsible for contributing to the safety of it's customers in that area. Now a legal counsel for McDonalds and relevant franchise can make an argument called: "Comparative Fault" stating that the injured person was partially at fault for what happened. But in this case, there was very clear evidence that the victim did not have that much control over what happened to her. Also, the criminal nature of the documented assault, will help her case as well.
This is a general overview of Premises Liability:
http://injury.findlaw.com/personal-injury/personal-injury-a-z/premises-liability.html?DCMP=KNC-Slip-&-Fall&HBX_PK=premise+liability+law&HBX_OU=50
Exactly one week before the hate crime beating, the Maryland Senate effectively killed the Gender Identity Non-Discrimination Bill, also known as HB 235, which would have protected transgender people in housing, banking, and employment. While the bill would have had no direct impact on this incident, the Maryland Senate sent Maryland citizens a strong message by killing the bill. Nontheless, the past bill still had no protections for public accomodations, such as public restrooms.
This is the "Emmett Till" moment or Ground Zero for trans people and allies. Sorry I had to say that, but if you can recall some history involving the civil rights movement, Emmett was a 14 year old boy who went to visit relatives near Money, Mississippi in 1955. He was kidnapped, continously severely beaten throughout the night, eye gouged out and then shot to death, accused of making a pass at a white woman. This crime of Human Rights became a spark for widening and further igniting that movement. The story about Emmett Till rapidly spread across the states (and several places around the world); An image of what happened to him was very clear and available for the world to see, just like this case. The Emmett Till crime woke many people up, illuminating the condition of oppression against a group of people.
McDonalds seriously needs to review, update and sincerely enforce their diversity and antidiscrimination policies right on down to the newest employees.
We hope and pray for Chrissy Lee Polis, we must reach out to her with love and full compassionate support to let her know that she is not alone, people care about her and that all are not darkness personified.
There is a rally and vigil against hate, scheduled for this Monday April 25th, 7:00pm - 10:00pm to be held under the "golden arches" at 6315 Kenwood Ave in Rosedale, MD:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=216999991659946
Also another rally, Stand Up Against Hate! Will be held on Thursday, April 28 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm, to be held at the same McDonalds location on the public side of the sidewalk adjescent to it:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000947503360#!/event.php?eid=110187879067417
To join the boycott:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-McDonalds-for-Bashing-Our-Transgender-Family/181080638606858
This is a Facebook support page for Chrissy Lee Polis, created by well wishers, please post words of comfort, support, warmth and encouragement:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chrissy-Lee-Polis/221297167883667
Please sign the petition:
http://www.change.org/petitions/demand-that-the-employees-on-duty-at-mcdonalds-be-held-responsible-in-the-beating-of-a-trans-woman
To file a complaint with McDonalds Corporate:
2111 McDonalds Drive, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Phone # 1-800-244-6227
Fax: (630) 623-8843
We all must do whatever we can to keep this story up front in everyone's mind.
ReplyDeleteI posted this in response to a Pajamas Media story that she was a "man in drag":
ReplyDeleteThe woman who was beaten in the McDonald's in Baltimore was not a man in drag. She was a transsexual, who having had surgery and changed her identity, was legally entitled to present herself as female and use the Ladies' Room.
This beating was motivated by a hatred of someone different, not race. The failure of people to intervene may have been a function of (black) prejudice. The fact that there is little outcry over this may be the result of the media's indifference to black on white violence, but that doesn't mean that the woman who was assaulted suddenly became a "man in drag" in that Ladies' Room.
This is just so sad and it causes great anxiety for me. I have enough testosterone damage that it would be hard for anyone not to see I was born in a male body. Luckily, I haven't had any bathroom nightmares (yet). It is bound to happen one day and I fear my death might just happen on the floor of a bathroom.
ReplyDeleteI find it horribly ironic that those whose background is filled with the poison of bigotry would in turn direct their own hatred and bigotry against someone they perceived as lower status: a non-person, an 'it', a thing not unlike an animal.
ReplyDeleteBut even animals have some security against cruelty and violence. Crissy did not. She was attacked and nearly killed while others stood by and did nothing or even encouraged the horror.
And thus we have so-called human beings behaving like animals toward someone whose own humanity and right to exist they would deny with consummate cruelty.
Someone should remind those two young black women that their fathers were lynched and their mothers beaten to death for the same reasons they beat Crissy: she was outcast and powerless to protect herself.
So this is the legacy they would leave their own children?
It would seem that they have a long way to go.
This made me feel physically sick. How brave was the lady who had the balls (no puns intended) to stand up to those COWARDS who mercilessly beat that poor woman so viciously. HOW DARE the staff act the way that they did. My goodness, I bet MacDonald's staff would treat the animals their products are made of better than they allowed Crissy to be treated. My heart goes out to her and I worry that Western Society tolerates such behaviour. I feel sick! I'm going to make sure that anyone who I know, gay, straight or whatever sees this so that conscience is raised re: this issue. It has to stop! Baltimore - you have a duty to protect ALL your sons and daughters, so legislate NOW!
ReplyDelete