Are We Ever Safe Anywhere?

When we go out in public sometimes we have a false sense of security because we are going to a LGBT event but you never know.

Performer known as 'Drag King' attacked in Olympia
KOMO News
By Jennifer Sullivan
September 5th 2016

OLYMPIA - In the nearly 10 years that Lila Hadway has taken the stage in drag, she has occasionally felt harassed and threatened.

But, a violent attack in Olympia early Sunday has left her scared for her safety and the safety of other performers.

Just after midnight, Hadway, a “drag king” known as “Parker Perry,” was loading up her gear after a benefit show at the Fourth Avenue Tavern. After a transgender friend was heckled and Hadway’s own wife, Angela, was threatened, Hadway stepped in.

Hadway recalled saying, “I was like ‘hey can we just leave this alone?’"

The article goes on to say,

"The assailant was calling them filthy gay and anti-transgender slurs while they were being beaten," she said.

On Tuesday, Olympia police reversed earlier statements and said a hate crime may have been committed.

Um… let’s see they called her “filthy gay and anti-transgender slurs” and beat her up, so exactly why wasn’t this attack a hate crime?

A while ago at a gay bar in Hartford a gay man was attacked when he left the bar, they now have security guards at the bar to patrol the parking lot.

One time on a warm summer night I was leaving a LGBT event and I had to walk by a bar where there were guys hanging out outside of the bar to get to my car. I hesitated standing in the doorway from the event and this group of lesbians was also leaving as they walked past me one of them stopped and turned, she asked me where my car was parked. I told her in the parking lot down the street, she said come and join them.

For us trans women we were not brought up to survey our surroundings and by on our guard.