cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/22334414
Summary
Two transgender women, Dahlia and Jess, were attacked at a Minneapolis rail station, with onlookers cheering their assailants instead of helping.
After confronting a man yelling transphobic slurs, the situation escalated into a violent assault involving four or five others, leaving both women unconscious.
Advocates attribute the rise in anti-trans violence to emboldened transphobia fueled by misinformation and political rhetoric, including Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
The local trans community is responding with solidarity rallies, self-defense classes, and firearm training to prepare for a potential increase in attacks.
Police are investigating, but no arrests have been made.
Aren’t you victim blaming as well, at least by your definition? They could have defended themselves if only they had a gun is putting the blame on them. I don’t really think either of you are victim blaming but at least be consistent.
The assailants are to blame, period. But that does not mean that the victims could not have avoided this. Acknowledging that is not the same as saying it was their fault and they are to blame. It is acknowledging their agency as people being assaulted (first verbally, then physically) and acknowledging that their options go beyond doing nothing, being assaulted, and buying and carrying a lethal weapon with them everywhere, much less shooting in a public building.
Nobody’s really saying they couldn’t have walked away in the beginning. We’re saying that there’s nothing wrong with addressing verbal abuse, and you should carry a weapon in case you find yourself outnumbered, on the ground, being beaten.
Ffs fill in the gun blank with a weapon you’re comfortable with. Pepper spray, taser, trebuchet, whatever. The point is don’t get caught off-guard by an assault because you asked someone to stop harassing you. They have their friends as backup, I have mine. It’s just my friend’s made of steel.
I didn’t say anything about a gun. I don’t think anyone here said what you’re accusing me of saying.
I don’t really have anything new to say to your gross-ass insistence that people focus on how the victims are
to blame“able to avoid such situations.” Their attackers could’ve avoided that situation. Are you sure the victims could have, just by wearing less revealing clothing- wait, wrong situation. By simply walking away? No one’s ever been hurt trying to get away in your world?This argument really doesn’t feel worth my time. Either you respect someone’s right to exist or you don’t.
This whole discussion started with several people saying “buy a gun and get into a gunfight.” You’re awfully angry and opinionated about a comment thread you didn’t read.
I can respect someone’s right to exist and also respect the bystanders at the train stations right to not get caught in the crossfire over an argument. Yeah, even one with bigots.
You keep making this about victim blaming. I’m sure that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. But it’s not a real discussion. It’s a way for you to shut down discussion of how to non-violently deal with bigots. Not everyone is prepared to escalate or kill over an argument. And encouraging victimized people to confront their assailants in public for some reason is not making them less likely to be victimized.