Change.org petition: Drop charges against transgender teen defending herself

Submitted by Matt on Wed, 2014-01-15 02:30

Petition here. Really, if this had been a case of a female-to-male transgendered person being attacked by three boys, or if the attackers in this case were boys and not girls, does anyone imagine for a moment the DA would not be on them like white on rice? I sure don't. At the very least, defending oneself from street-thugs regardless of said thugs' gender is no offense -- unless of course said thugs are female and you have a penis, regardless of how you are dressed. Is to too much though to ask the question: "Why the hell are the attackers *not* being prosecuted?" Or is that just too radical an idea? Excerpt:

'My sister, Jewlyes Gutierrez, is a 16 year old teenager, who identifies as a transgender female. Her gender identity has caused her to be a victim of taunting, harassment, and bullying by her peers. On November 13, 2013, Jewlyes defended herself against three girls who were tormenting and then physically attacked her. This was captured on video and you can see Jewlyes trying to run away. The students involved were suspended but to our disbelief, District Attorney Daniel Cabral then filed charges against Jewlyes for battery - she's the only one charged.

Jewlyes should not be charged criminally. Rather, this altercation should be the responsibility of the school district, who should take proper action and implement the necessary resources to prevent incidents like these from happening again.

One of the girls who attacked Jewlyes had repeated bullied her - even spitting gum in her face. Jewlyes sought help from the assistant principal in fear of her physical safety but the issue was not properly addressed, no necessary action was taken by the administration. The bullying continued.
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Violence towards transgender and queer youth is a serious problem. Recently in Oakland, CA, a transgender teen was lit on fire. What message is the District Attorney's Office sending when they prosecute a transgender teen who school officials labeled as the victim in this incident?'

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