Trans woman forced from restroom by security guard at DC Giant supermarket
Ebony Belcher was grabbed and forced to leave the restroom by a security guard
A security guard at a northeast D.C. Giant store has been charged with simple assault after forcing a transgender woman to leave the women’s restroom.
Ebony Belcher, 32, asked for directions to the store’s restroom, passing the female security guard en route. She says that the guard followed her into the restroom and demanded she leave the store, which is on the corner of Third and H streets.
“She opened the door and came in and started calling me derogatory names,” Belcher told NBC4 Washington.
According to Belcher, the guard grabbed her and forced her from the store, while saying: “You guys cannot keep coming in here and using our women’s restroom. They did not pass the law yet.” Belcher suffers from Parkinson’s disease and says she struggled not to fall when the guard began pushing her.
Belcher called police who later arrested the security guard, who has yet to be identified. In a statement, Giant said: “As this matter involves a third party that provides security services for Giant and there’s an ongoing criminal investigation, all inquiries related to the incident at the H Street Giant should be directed to the local police for a comment at this time.”
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