A 31-year-old French transgender woman named Julia was attacked this past Sunday by three men who jeered at her, tussled her hair, pushed, pulled and swung punches and kicks at her as she tried to walk through crowded metro steps at Paris’ Place de la République. The violence was caught on camera (below).
Eventually transit police intervened, getting her to safety, but even they reportedly called her “Monsieur” and told her “not to dress like that,” according to the BBC. Julia said that one man exposed himself to her and others threw beer on her as she tried to get past them.
The attack occurred during a rally in central Paris against Algeria’s ailing president who recently resigned amid protests against corruption in his home country. The men reportedly told Julia, “You’re a man, you’re not going anywhere, you’re not coming past,” and taunted her in Arabic.
Here is video of the attack, which has since gone viral since images of it were shared by the leader of the French LGBTQ activist group Stop Homophobie.
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Agression transphobe.
Nous sommes bien en plein @Paris, à République. ?Une honte pour notre pays. ??
Une honte pour le drapeau auquel vous pensiez faire honneur. ??@stop_homophobie
@FVauglin@ACORDEBARD@Prefet75_IDF pic.twitter.com/GbD6bBG5dt— Lyes Alouane???? (@Lyes_Alouane) April 2, 2019
Since then, Julia has appeared on French TV and radio. She told interviewers, “The violence against this [transgender] community takes place every day. But some people won’t have the strength that I have and they’ll be destroyed by these attacks.”
The BBC reports, “Julia later made clear that the attack had nothing to do with the Algerian community but was carried out by ignorant people, regardless of their origin or religion. The Paris prosecutor has opened a case for violence due to sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Related: Japan has a law requiring sterilization of transgender citizens
Unfortunately, the Paris attack is just an illustration of the ways trans people are targeted for violence by citizens and police alike. Discrimination of this sort is what makes events like the recent Trans Day of Visibility and the upcoming Trans Day of Remembrance all the more necessary.
Vince
Yep. Loony Mooslems. Unfortunately assimilation is impossible with people stuck in the 12th century.
shakes_head
If I thought you gave a damn about trans lives, I would point out that trans people are victims of attacks and violence all over the world, but that would be too nuanced for a mouth breather to understand…
DCguy
Interesting, you so think only Muslms are anti-Trans? So in other words, you’re saying we would never have attacks against them here in America by non-Muslim people? Oh wait, that’s right, right wing Christians are just as violent and bigoted.
ulimarquez
Gotta love when some gays defend Islam and it’s attrocities. Some of you need to wake up, Islam is not your friend and most of the Muslims who practiced it would rather kill you than see you being happy in a same sex relationship.
DCguy
@ulimarquez
Actually nobody was defending Islam. What I was doing was preventing the B.S. right wing narrative that the ONLY danger to LGBT people is from Islam. In America the largest danger is from right wing Christian politicians, and organizations like Chik Fil Et that funnell money into groups trying to legalize the murder of gays in Africa, or the Mormon and Catholic churches that spent hundreds of millions fighting against LGBT rights.
Trying to pretend Islam is the only group out to get us simply means you are trying to cover for the most dangerous groups to American LGBTs. If I lived in Iran, I would worry about Islam, I live in America where Mike Pence is far more dangerous to us.
Rock-N-RollHS
Totally. Freaking fools on this site: Devout Islam ain’t your friend, fags! yeah, sure, neither is Evangelicalism. But gays have no problem attacking the Evangelicals. Love to see more studies on the violence against gays and anti-gay hatred in “devout” Muslim communities. (I’ve seen a few, need to find them.) But, hey, those damn Israelis! Ha. I’d take Israel any day over its neighboring anti- woman, anti-gay, and anti-Jewish Muslim countries.
Vince
Oh yeah, I looked at the video first and knew it was mooslems without a doubt.
Diplomat-G
@vince,
Funny I looked at the video as well and thought they looked like guido Italians wearing wife beaters named Vince.
Jack Meoff
Do many guidos name their wife beaters Vince?
Diplomat-G
@Jack Meoff,
No clue perhaps you should ask Vince.
Morrisson
Unfortunately this kind of behaviour is quite common in mainland European countries with large muslim populations. She should thank her lucky stars she wasnt in Algeria or she would be thrown off a roof
batesmotel
This transgender person is attacked by men that are clearly Muslims and yet she is still in denial that it’s the Islamic religion which is severely anti-gay. Fascinating. The naive ignorance is strong with that one. Being attacked still hasn’t woken him up.
DCguy
I think her point was that ignorance and bigotry are spread wide and not just in one particular religion. I.E. right wing Christians here in America attack Trans people, shoot up schools, and bomb abortion clinics.
Rock-N-RollHS
@ DC guy. You are in denial. Walk hand in hand with a guy in any devout Muslim community. Walk the walk, biatch. You won’t be able to walk again afterward.
theafricanwiththemouth
@DCguy you’re just being annoyingly defensive for no reason. Nowhere in this comment section did anyone defend Christianity, or call it gay friendly either… But this article portrays mostly Muslims being transphobic and that’s what we are gonna focus on. It’s quite stupid that you think because someone points out Islam as a hateful religion towards LGBT (which on a worldwide level it is for God sake!) that they automatically let Christianity off. Makes no sense. I know the horrors of both religion and have felt it first hand by coming from a country where both religions are still practiced with extremism on a large scale. But then, I know good Muslim men and women, those who won’t hurt you no matter how contrary to their beliefs one lives, but I’ll never ever have any reason to defend “the religion” because on the grander scale of things, it is immensely homophobic (and before you come with your tired defensive replies, same goes for Christianity…)
mr guy
Nobody there saw a woman. This was clearly an attack on a gender non-conforming man — ultimately homophobic in nature. “Transphobia” is a red herring in the vast majority of these cases.
draven
Some people are very jealous of gay people and transgender people they don’t know what to do when they see people like that they also don’t like gay people because were happy and most of those people are miserable and jealous type people I’m glad I’m in a black American 6 foot three and I weigh 190 pounds of muscle they look at me and they get upset because I’m very good looking I carry myself well I have beautiful hair beautiful skin it’s just a lot of jealousy out in the world is not really because of the sexuality yes some can’t handle it but it’s more so jealousy people are fools. It’s a macho thing too. Those guys should be put under the jail. Now there’s that awful leader who stones gay people to death because he’s vile and sinister with ugly money. I’m sure he’s a very unhappy person and all around him are unhappy too. I’m sorry that happened to you. You know sometimes you can’t show up because people are hostile and violent and don’t care about hurting you. Just don’t go. Spend your money and time in gay friendly places. I don’t bother with to many straight people anymore they sickening.
draven
Some of these gay organizations should be teaching the gay younger people and older and transgender people young and old how to be more protective and where to go and where not to go with that transgender person should have not been in the middle of a Hostile and violent straight crowd. A lot of the younger/older ones need to learn how to better protect themselves and stay away from certain areas even though they want to be out it’s not worth your safety to be somewhere where you can get hurt beat up or killed. I guess in this day and age if you’re gay or transgender you have to have a mase or tazer or stungun or some kind of protection if you’re legally willing and able to carry that but a lot of these organizations should be doing more outreach programs in teaching the the gay trans community how to take care of themselves and protect themselves so they won’t get hurt when they’re out at these events these fundraisers these are hostile and violent protests hey if this means you’re going to get hurt just stay home dress up at home fine your safe circle and safe friends and safe environment and stay home and watch TV and leave it alone. Hang around big gay black men you will have your back be your friend and protect you. These gay organizations always teach safe sex. But you never really hear about how to protect your self when confronted or at a protest or just waiting on a bus at a bus stop dressed in drag. Gay organizations please help with this. It’s sad how these young and older people are being hurt and kill because they venture into unsafe areas or confronted with hostile people who want to hurt them because they don’t understand them. Please do safety out reach for gay trans and all the rest community. Everyone please be safe. All I can do is pray that God will watch over all of and keep us safe!!!!!! Amen!!!!!! Period
draven
Gay transgender safety out reach educational programs should be taught by gay organizations to help to better educate gay people on how better protect themselves when out and about.
They always want to promote safe sex but why not promote safety.!
YouNeverKnow
Most of the trans people are not gay after all and they should never be part of the gay world. They should fight for their own problems and we should fight for our own.
Sam6969
Prejudice and ignorance can stem from any religion or origin. However, here in France, many Muslim people are homophobic and when they are they are often verbally and physically violent. A large part of the young suburban Muslims are infamously known for their aggressiveness and mental rigidity.
A well known 2016 study by the Montaigne Institute showed 28% of French Muslims considered Charia above the laws of the Republic.
There is still a lot of work to do…
Rock-N-RollHS
Damn straight.