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OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
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The Right Way to Fight
Community to discuss response to violence at safety forum
“We’re not trying to represent the
trans community. This is who we
are as people and how we live our
lives and we’re just trying to show
support for Chrissy.”
-CHRISTOPHER SEIN,
GENDERQUEER PERFORMER
In response to the recent attack on Baltimore
transwoman Chrissy Polis and the approaching
one-year anniversary of the first of three report
ed pre-Pride queer bashings, Q_Patrol and Pride
Northwest are hosting a Community Safety
Forum Tuesday, May 10 to discuss strategies for
visibility and safety.
Both incidents inspired heated debates about
appropriate responses to anti-LGBTQviolence.
In the wake of the pre-Pride assaults, the issue
of police involvement in community foot patrols
(Q_ Patrol works with the PPB) created some
division. While that conversation stayed local,
the debate over a local response to Polis' attack
elicited reactions from across the nation.
“We were just going to get together a couple
of our friends, do a little video thing for Chris
sy,” says Christopher Sein, 26. “I didn’t expect
people from all over to object to it.”
Chrissy Polis was assaulted in April inside a
McDonald’s restaurant by two teenage females
as an employee caught it all on video. News of
the suspected hate crime, along with graphic
video of the attack, has circulated widely online.
The assault inspired local drag performers Kitty
Montenegro and Sein (aka ChiChi and Chonga),
who identify as transgender and genderqueer, to
organize a gathering at the West Burnside Mc
Donald’s in the spirit of Genderfucking Take
over—a group formed in response to 2010's Me
morial Day weekend attacks that creates visibility
for gender variance by going out in drag en masse.
The event post on Facebook April 26 quickly
drew protests from transgender activists as far
away as Maryland and Britain who were con
cerned that the planned demonstration would
misrepresent transgender people in a way that
would trivialize them in the eyes of the public.
“Whilst I would be the last to condemn free
dom of speech or even action to highlight issues,
this is not going to help the acceptance of gen
der variant, transsexual and intersex members of
society who live their lives as that affirmed ‘gen
der’ 24/7,” wrote Human Rights Campaign
board member and transwoman Meghan Sta
bler in a Facebook note criticizing the “shame
ful” event. “They do not live our lives and should
not assume that they can lead the charge on
public accommodation access.”
Sein says he was never trying to be anything
but himself and argues that all kinds of gender-
variant people, including drag queens, are a part
of a larger community.
“We’re not trying to represent the trans com
munity,” Sein says, pointing out he is gender
queer and that Montenegro identifies as trans
gender. “This is who we are as people and how
we live our lives and we’re just trying to show
support for Chrissy.”
Still, in real-time response to criticism from
Stabler and others, Montenegro and Sein edited
the event’s Facebook posting, removing the
word “tranny” from the description and at
tempting to provide context for their original
vision, which Sein says was meant to be “like ‘It
b y e r in r o o k
Gets Better’ in a way.”
Ultimately, the pair decided to “officially”
cancel the demonstration, directing people in
stead toward a community forum. Rather than
hosting a separate town hall, local trans activists
decided to address their concerns at the Com
munity Safety Forum. That forum will include a
recap of Q_Patrol’s first year and a summary of
Pride N W ’s safety plan, and will feature a repre
sentative from the Oregon Department of Jus
tice, Mayor Sam Adams and members of the
Office of Neighborhood Involvement and the
Portland Police Bureau.
Genderqueer performer Georgia Ray Baby-
cakes says she expects the discussion to be pro
ductive, adding that she supports outside con
versations as well.
“We’ve seen amazing things come out of our
community discussions in Portland in response
to specific attacks,” she says. “These discussions
cross the lines that need to be crossed between
closed-community groups as well as between
the people of the community and their govern
ment and local law enforcement.”T#!
Community Safety Forum, Tues., May 10, 6-9p.m.;
Q Center, 4115 N. Mississippi;pdxqcenter.org.
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