An Incident

A trans woman in western Massachusetts was attacked earlier this week while on a first date.

For many of us we never thought twice about dating but once we transition it is a whole new world. A world that we are a stranger to, there are a few basic safety tips when going on a first date.

• Don't give out too much personal information. Don’t be the first person to give out their phone number. If he doesn’t want to give it, it might be a warning sign.
• Meet in a public place. A coffee house is a good place for a first date or a cinema, a bowling ally, a restaurant or a bar
• Drive yourself there, don’t let him give you a ride.
• Have another person present when your date arrives. A friend or someone you trust be there and then they can leave when he arrives (That way your friend will know what he looks like).
• Have another person know you agenda.
• Know when to bail out. If the person does feel right ask a store employee to walk you to your car and keep an eye out to see if he is following you.
• Have a friend call you while you are on the date and have safe words (i.e. if you say the word “work” you are in trouble).
• Don't allow him to make/handle your drink in any way.
• Stay sober.
• Get to know him, hobbies, sports, his friends, etc.
• When you leave check out your surroundings.
• Lastly, when you get home call your friend and let them know you are OK.

These may sound like a lot of dumb things to do but as the trans woman found out the hard way, there are a lot of predators out there and don’t let yourself be one of the names that we read on November 20th.