Laura Seabrook's Ramblings

...is what the story Transgender Woman Severely Beaten at Baltimore McDonalds While Employees Watch does. I watched the video that was included on that page and it is pretty shocking. As someone one who has had epilepsy in the past and also suffered from anxiety attacks, the seizure at the end looks like shock to me. Either way, not good.

There is another angle on this at Brutal Racist Hate Crime Beating At McDonald’s (Victim May Be Transgender Or Beating Probably Okay).What I find interesting here (especially after seeing the video) is the lack of evidence that this was a trans person. We see what might be a wig come off, but I've known bald cis women, and women post-chemotherapy who wore wigs. The point I'm making on that is it doesn't matter whether the victim was or was not trans - what matters is that the assumption, and brutal reaction are just as bad either way. This is what antidiscrimination legislation in NSW at least includes assumed status as well as trans status.

The following video is an odd mix, commenting on the above:

The first was coming home from uni. I got off the bus at Glendale and a semi drunk women (whom I've seen and chatted with on the buses before) says to me "Can I ask yooos a question?" I said "OK" to which she said "Are yoose a Lady?" My first reaction to that was to think of Little Britain comedy sketches, but I said "Of course!" Anyway, before I could say anything else she said "Good-oh. Though yoos mighta been a tranny, but love ya either way". That was actually funny. Country use of "Lady" in Australia means woman, whereas "Sir" is always your old school teacher or the customer on the other side of the counter.

The second happened when I was walking down my strett laden with food shoping. My leg was hurting and I was tired. A young femal voice seemed to come from nowhere and said "Hi Tranny". There was a hint of malice in the voice. I casually glanced around while I walked but couldn't find where it came from. That I find disturbing.

Just par for the course I guess for being who I am. But - it shouldn't be this way!

Went to the chip shop earlier with the dogs. Apart from Hallie pulling me over in the mud twice, I caught a "YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" shouted at me by a passing car. Oddly I wasn't so much upset as annoyed. It just identifies them as wankers and cowards.

They're at it again. OK, in the last few days I've had three different encounters at bus stops and on buses.

( Details under the cut )

So these encounters seem to be so different, from amusing to annoying. I am just so sick of people assuming that if they spot one thing about me it gives them licence to be idiots. To all those idiots, this youtube video is for you: