There is no depth to which transphobic Americans will not stoop to criminalize trans people, but one GOP candidate from California is taking harassment to a whole new level. Just as it was once argued that white girls and women would be unsafe around “oversexed” black men, it is now argued that they are unsafe in restrooms, gyms, and schools.
#realdonaldtrump https://t.co/FiG0gMMuh5
— Jazmina Saavedra (@jazminasaavedra) May 16, 2018
Jazmina Saavedra, spokeswoman for Latinos for Trump and Republican candidate for Congress from California’s 44th district, decided it would be a good idea to follow a trans woman into the ladies room at a Denny’s restaurant and berating her through a closed bathroom door for “violating” Saavedra’s “privacy.”
The trans lady was simply trying to use a restroom.
Saavedra said on camera when she began filming she was “trying to use the ladies’ room” but that there was a “man here saying that he’s a lady.” Misgendering a trans person and denying the right to define their own identity is a form of abuse perpetrated by far too many Republicans these days. Of course, Saavedra reported on Twitter that this was an “Obama legacy.”
https://www.facebook.com/jazmina.saavedra.7/videos/10212432236662423/?t=0
Saavedra’s Democratic challenger tweeted her disgust over the incident, calling her out for her discrimination and denying the woman the right to identify as she chooses.
I was appalled by the treatment that this woman received for simply trying to use the restroom. Everyone has the right to their own identity, and the right not to be discriminated against for who they are. https://t.co/9IincnpFWy
— Nanette Barragán (@Nanette4CA) May 18, 2018
Painting trans people as perverts bent on sexually assaulting girls and women in public bathrooms is misguided, cruel, and dehumanizing. Rapists and pedophiles are not going to be stopped by a bathroom law. This country already has laws that they ignore as often as possible.
Also, it’s fairly telling that anti-trans people are deeply concerned about “perverts” being allowed in bathrooms but rarely seem all that worried about sending folks they’re sure will rape and assault children into bathrooms where young boys are. It’s not about protecting women at all. It’s solely about discriminating vulnerable populations they can deem “other” and “lesser than.”
See the full video of the incident below, which Saavedra proudly posted to her Facebook page and on Twitter:
Twitter users were disgusted by Saavedra’s attempts to promise protection to her constituents (just not the ones who are trans). They responded with outrage and disgust. See some of those responses below:
Featured image via video
