After being constantly bullied at school, transgender 16-year-old student, Jewlyes Gutierrez, defended herself when she got into a fight with three of her peers. Following the incident, the District Attorney charged Jewlyes with battery. In response to this unfair treatment of the bullied girl, her sister, Valerie Poquiz, started a petition on Change.org calling for the District Attorney to drop the charges.
"Her gender identity has caused her to be a victim of taunting, harassment and bullying by her peers," Valerie wrote in the petition, adding that her sister had "defended herself against three girls who were tormenting and then physically attacked her."
The petition has garnered over 160,000 signatures so far. You can support Jewlyes and speak out against bullying and discrimination by signing the petition here.