3mo ago

Seattle Area Trans Women Are Being Attacked by Groups of Men - In the Last Year, the County Prosecutor's Office Has Filed Charges in Four Such Cases

www.thestranger.com Seattle Area Trans Women Are Being Attacked by Groups of Men

Earlier this month, three trans women were beaten by a group of young men in Seattle's gay neighborhood. According to the county prosecutor's office, there's been at least four more group beatings since June 2024. In one case, strangers joined in.

Archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20250926115851/https://www.thestranger.com/news/2025/09/23/80249464/seattle-area-trans-women-are-being-attacked-by-groups-of-men

United States | News & Politics @midwest.social

Seattle Area Trans Women Are Being Attacked by Groups of Men - In the Last Year, the County Prosecutor's Office Has Filed Charges in Four Such Cases

www.thestranger.com /news/2025/09/23/80249464/seattle-area-trans-women-are-being-attacked-by-groups-of-men

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I wish there were a group of cis men who would be willing to open-carry where it's legal, on demand, and accompany any trans person to and from anywhere they gotta go. I'd do it if I weren't a pacifist, but maybe it's still useful even to just have a walking buddy.
It's a shame that this is where we are as a society, but then again, I'm just using the same argument I've been fed my whole life about guns being critical towards creating a more polite society.
- Skip the middle man (literally) and arm the trans community.
  
  community
  This part is key. Organized mutual defense (and other kinds of mutual aid).
  
  I spoke to a few people about this since commenting, and this is essentially the response I got back — this kind of thing does already exist, but it has typically been organized by ciswomen for transwomen on a community basis — I. E., strong moderation and vetting and familiarity prevents abuse.
  So, I'm guessing the better direction for random cis men who want to organize would be to create a chapterized organization that protects or provides physical barriers around places trans people need to enter and may be prevented from doing so by rioters or violent dissidents. My immediate thought is to protect the doctors and patients who give care to trans youth, and just make an email, text, or Fediverse alert system that dispatches people near an area if a credible report appears of that kind of need.
  I think, that way, it helps separate communications between trans folks and cis folks for safety reasons, but the needful is still done and everyone comes away feeling better and more united. I feel like that first part is really necessary to prevent opportunistic abuse.
  
  I do not disagree, but, not every trans person wants to carry a weapon — their existence should just be respected like any other person around here. I mention my thought because those people still need protection, for both their physical and emotional safety.
  Idk. Being trans is hard enough, and being a cis white het man is pretty much easy mode comparatively. My thought was moreso that trans people really deserve it that we lean in more using the things we know we have at our disposal. I don't claim whiteness, but I am unquestionably white if asked by other white people, and I know for a fact that white dudes are much more likely to treat me with respect off the bat. I don't like that, but I can exploit it to keep people who are just trying to live their fucking life in peace safe. I can't imagine a more stereotypically 'American' cause than that.
- guns being critical to creating a polite society
  Generally no–except where fascists are involved, then absolutely yes.
- I'd be down to do that, but it doesn't just have to be cis men. A gun should be enough of a deterrent for almost anyone regardless of who it's on.
- should cis Men offer to walk trans women home? can an outreach like this be networked and would it be safer for them?
  
  I am genuinely not sure how that kind of outreach would work, or how to protect anything that is out there from bigots weaponizing it, but I recognize that there's a need and that cis men like myself (especially those of us with some height on us) have a surprising amount of power to prevent other cis dudes from fucking around.
  I am not much for toxic masculinity, but I've spent enough time embroiled in it to know that groups of guys will back off anyone who they think might have a weapon. Hell, I've personally seen gangbangers actively ward other gangbangers off from cat-calling a woman wearing a wedding ring. I learned later that this is common wisdom because the potential damage that a scorned husband can cause is ridiculous. I think there is something to just utilizing that effect for, y'know, good instead of evil.
  
  I've never organized anything before but it seems like it might be easy to do. post flyers at libraries, gay bars, or universities maybe? places where chuds just usually don't go without an explicit reason.
  Hard thing is finding cis men who carry and have time to donate or the interest to help. And then the potential for bad actors too. I wouldn't want to suggest white male savior antics that just end up being more dangerous
  
  It might work best as a paid service. That was my initial idea, but even people who can't afford protection deserve it so I scratched my initial response. I guess hit up colleges with flyers. That's probably your best bet to find allies.
  
  dang. I feel like the people who need it the most are ones with less money for a cab or something. there might be groups in Seattle that might find it. trans inclusive politicians looking for an optics opportunity or any religious groups that haven't caught the MAGA brain syphilis?
  
  That was my train of thought exactly. The people with the least amount of money are the ones most at risk, but advertising just to allies without letting the MAGA folk know is a challenge.

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