A transgender man, Juan Evans, in East Point, Georgia, says he was pulled over by local police for speeding, only to be harassed, called "it," and threatened with a genital search, according to a video released by the SNaP Co (Solutions Not Punishment Coalition). The video shows Evans recounting the incident he endured on October 23 after he was pulled over.
Because Evans had forgotten his driver's license at home, he gave the officer his birth name. Evans says the officer refused to believe that he is male, and arrested him. At the East Point Police Station, Evans recounts how several officers referred to him as "it" and "thing," and threatened to search his genitals.
The National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that one-fifth of respondents who interacted with police reported harassment by police, with rates being much higher for transgender people of color. A new survey report from Youth BreakOUT! in New Orleans found that half of transgender respondents reported being called an anti-LGBT slur by police, and 59 percent of transgender respondents reported being asked for a sexual favor by police.
According to the Georgia Voice, Capt. Richard Pritchard of the East Point Police Department said that no formal investigation has been filed, and no is no investigation into the alleged incident. Yesterday, SNaP Co marched and rallied at the East Point Police Station, calling for trans people to be treated with dignity and respect.
"You laughed in my face, and I will unapologetically tell you who I am," Evans said in the SNaP Co video, addressing the police. "I am not a 'it,' and I am not an 'thing.' I am trans, and you don't have the right to arrest me for being trans."
Watch the full video below, and for the latest updates on Evans' case, follow the Racial Justice Action Center and SNaP Co on Twitter. GLAAD urges the media to report on this and other stories of alleged violence by police against transgender people.