Palm Springs cannabis dispensary blocked trans man from restroom, questioned his “male parts”
Trans TikTok user Dev shared video of his exchange with Four Twenty Bank's co-owner and accused her of "extreme transphobia"
A cannabis dispensary in Palm Springs, Calif., has been filmed refusing to allow a transgender man to access the men’s restroom and questioning his genitalia.
Dev posted video to his TikTok (@devroyal100) showing his exchange with Julie Montante, the co-owner of Four Twenty Bank dispensary, which allegedly led to Dev being banned from the store, LGBTQ Nation reports.
The video starts after Dev tried to access the men’s bathroom and was denied entry. He said that he provided his ID, which has his deadname but an updated male gender marker, but was told that it was “not enough.”
In the video, Montante calls Dev “aggressive” and misgenders him, before telling him to “try to get over whatever is bothering you.”
“The way that you’re treating me is what’s bothering me,” Dev replies. “This is extreme transphobia.”
Montante then accuses Dev of having a phobia, to which he responds, “You should be fired. What you’re doing right now is extremely transphobic.”
Dev claimed that he was “kicked out & banned” from the dispensary in the caption of the video.
@devroyal100 This is hard for me to watch. It gives me dysphoria to see myself crying but I’m posting bc I want ppl to know our struggle. Pls we’re human. ##trans
In multiple follow-up videos, Dev claimed that he is a regular customer of the dispensary and accused Montante of questioning his genitalia during their exchange.
Montante allegedly intercepted him as he tried to access the bathroom and refused access after checking his ID. She then allegedly asked him, “What parts do you have? Do you have male parts?”
Dev said he told Montante, “That’s none of your business,” which she assumed to mean that he is “female.”
When he asked why he couldn’t use the restroom, Dev claims he was told, “You’re going to be looking at men’s parts and we can’t have that.”
Montante then allegedly told him that he was being blocked for his “protection” because “it’s not safe for you to go in there because you’re a female.”
After accusing Montante of being transphobic, Dev said that she responded by claiming to volunteer with LGBTQ people, which was when he started recording his initial video.
Montante reportedly sits on “multiple LGBTQ boards” in Palm Springs, with Dev adding, “A person like that should not be on those boards.”
In a subsequent TikTok video, Dev said he was seeking a pro bono lawyer to help sue the dispensary for discrimination.
“I’m pretty sure laws were broken. I need help with this, though,” he said. “I can’t really afford going up against somebody with that much money and prestige. Please reach out to me if you know anyone that’s willing to help a trans man sue for discrimination.”
Read More:
People stood and laughed while a gay couple was attacked on a busy street
Spanish court sides with bisexual man sued by ex-wife for “hiding his homosexuality”
Kathy Griffin undergoes surgery for lung cancer, says doctors are “very optimistic”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.