When I was about six years old, I called myself a girly tomboy. Somehow, the description still fits.
Personally, I've always been glad that I'm transgender. It's forced me to see myself and the world in different terms than I would have if I'd been able to take it for granted that I was what I was told to be. If something as fundamental as gender can't be reduced to dualistic terms, how can anything else be?
Unfortunately, not everyone thinks so well of gender fluidity.
Perhaps you noticed a photograph on the cover of the Nov. 12 Daily Lobo. It showed people protesting in front of the Copper Lounge, with signs such as "Don't support hate crimes." This is the story behind the photo:
About a week prior to that protest, three women were beaten by several of the bouncers at the Copper Lounge. The women say it was because they're queer. The bar, of course, says it was all the women's fault. But the fight happened in the parking lot, so one might think there was no need for it, since the women were already out of the building.
Regardless of the details, there is something one of the bouncers said that makes it clear that homophobia at least played a role in escalating the situation: "If you're going to dress like men, we'll treat you like men."
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This past Friday, one of the employees felt the need to grab his crotch toward a guy who was protesting and tell him to suck his dick, he kind of confirmed the idea that the Copper Lounge's staff is not exactly queer friendly.
Since Nov. 9, a group of people - mostly friends and friends of friends of the women involved - have been demonstrating in front of the Copper Lounge to bring attention to the issue. Their demands are fairly simple:
l They want a public apology.
l Two of the women's glasses were broken in the fight, so they want those paid for.
l They want the Copper Lounge's staff to receive diversity training.
Not exactly monumental demands. But the owner apparently thinks it too much effort to so much as meet with the women.
The police, on the other hand, seem to think these protests are worth a great deal of effort. For demonstrations drawing maybe 20 to 30 people, the police have brought out as many as seven cars.
A little disproportionate, don't you think?
Two weeks ago, two women were cited for being in the parking lot. The first wasn't even warned to get back on the sidewalk before police grabbed her. The second was only reacting out of concern for her friend.
This past Friday, a Copper Lounge employee pointed another woman and myself out and evidently accused us of the terrifying crime of chalking on the parking lot. As it so happens, neither of us had done it. But I can't say I'd feel too bad if I had.
The police decided the crime was grave enough to demand our identities, even though its effects were simply washed away a few minutes later. After some back and forth, during which one of the officers insinuated that he could cite or arrest all of us, a third woman claimed responsibility to get us off the hook.
That sufficed in place of the first woman accused, but apparently a crime such as chalking requires an accomplice, so the officer was still after me. Fortunately, the police must have just gotten sick of us by that point, because when I ignored his demand and we all walked away, they let us go.
Funny, but whenever anyone's tried to rape or otherwise assault me, the police never just happened to show up. Of course, I could've waited for my attackers to be done with me and then called to file a report. Somehow, defending myself just seemed preferable at the time.
Sometimes, one has to wonder if all the police are really there for is to keep the streets free of wild, queer chalkers.
I seem to have strayed a bit from the point. Or perhaps I haven't. Life just isn't reducible to dualistic statistics or one line conclusions. Sometimes, you have to really look at all the little things before you can see the big picture.
by Sari Krosinsky
Daily Lobo Columnist
