3 transgender women attacked in Brooklyn
Two of the women were hospitalized after being set upon by at least six people
Three transgender woman were attacked in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick on Saturday, resulting in them being hospitalized.
Jasmine Infiniti, London Jade, and a third unidentified friend, all transgender women, were leaving Happyfun Hideaway on Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick just before 1:45 a.m. when they walked past a group of people standing outside a liquor store on Bushwick Avenue, reports AMNewYork.
The group, which included at least five men and one woman, began to harass the three transgender women, calling them derogatory slurs like “faggots” and “transformers,” according to the police report.
Infiniti, a Bronx native who now lives in Oakland, Calif., said she felt the need to respond, and tried to enter the liquor store to “prove a point,” but was turned away. She tried to take photos of the store and her harassers, prompting them to begin beating her. She says one of them smacked her phone out of her hand.
Jade ran to Infiniti’s defense, and bedlam erupted. Infiniti was punched in the face and back of the head, and Jade was slashed by a knife on the back of her leg.
“One man hauled off and hit me so hard in the face, in the jaw, that I started bleeding and spitting blood,” says Infiniti.
Both women were transported to Bellevue Hospital Center after returning to Manhattan and reporting the incident to police. Jade was treated and released, but Infiniti remains in the hospital for at least a few more weeks. She is scheduled to have surgery on Thursday to fix her jaw, which will be wired shut to allow it to heal.
Their friend, the third transgender woman, was not injured in the altercation.
Police say they’re investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. But so far, no one has been arrested.
“It makes me very angry,” Infiniti told AMNewYork. “We were just walking by, three trans women minding our own business.”
A friend has set up a website to raise money to help the women cover their medical bills.
“If it wasn’t for my community and my current and burgeoning career as a DJ, I don’t think I would have the support necessary to make it,” Infiniti said. “I’ve been very lucky and have received so much support and love.”
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