Trans Woman Allegedly Raped at Stonewall Inn, Historic Bar Responds

A 25-year-old transgender woman says she was sexually assaulted at the Stonewall Inn on Saturday, March 26. As reported by the New York Times, the woman alerted police of the crime around 1 AM on Sunday, stating that she was in a single-use restroom when a man entered and raped her. The accused reportedly left the restroom after the assault, returned briefly to "grope" the woman, and then fled. Police say the alleged rapist is a frequent customer of the Stonewall Inn. They released security footage of him outside the restroom:

All violent crime is abhorrent, but it is particularly disturbing for the rape of a transgender woman to occur at the Stonewall Inn; the bar is a landmark in LGBT history, where gay liberation began with a riot in 1969. For many gay and transgender people, it is an uncommon haven in a hostile world that is rife with anti-trans prejudice. In response to Broadly's request for comment, The Stonewall Inn gave this statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the news of an allegation of sexual assault against a member of our community. That violence like this has allegedly happened, even in a safe space like Stonewall Inn, is upsetting and we are working closely with the police to investigate this alleged isolated incident at Stonewall, as we continue to work with the greater LGBTQ community to increase visibility, safety and acceptance for all transgender people and all members of our community."

An employee of the Stonewall told Broadly that the bar was very busy on Saturday night. He knew nothing of the sexual assault. "It was one of my Madonna Worship nights upstair, with tribute performances and music all night," he said. " It was packed. That's honestly all I know about the night." Friends of the survivor urge the public and the media to recognize the impact that the judgement and portrayal of these events has upon the survivor herself.

Users across social media shared news of the attack, condemning the accused. More than a few made mention to the horrible irony that a transgender woman would be raped in a bathroom while bigoted law reform is underway across the US. Anti-trans bathroom bills monger on the lie that trans people are predators or that make restrooms unsafe for cisgender people. In North Carolina, a law was passed that bans transgender people from using the correct restroom.

New York City has done the exact opposite of that. On March 7th, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order allowing transgender people to use the bathroom assigned to their self-identified gender. His wife, First Lady of New York Chirlane McCray, empathized with the injustice of removing public accommodations for transgender people. "Every day, no matter where they go, transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers are burdened with worry," she said. But New York is meant to be different, which is why the mayor made the move to protect the rights of trans people. "New Yorkers know that to safeguard our individual rights, we must stand up for the rights of others—and we will," McCray said.

However, bathroom laws are clearly not enough to prevent violent crimes from being committed against trans people. In response to the attack at the Stonewall Inn, de Blasio called the events troubling. "I have confidence, based on the information the chief just indicated, that we will apprehend this individual," he said.