Trans Woman Attacked and Beaten in Public Hate Attack

Northern Ireland native Anna Montgomery is just 20 years old, but she's already been attacked twice in public for being trans. The latest attack came while she was on a date with her boyfriend at a pub in Belfast, Northern Ireland on September 26, which left her beaten and bloody.

Montgomery made a post on Facebook detailing the attack. "While we were having a few drinks, I was assaulted at my table," she wrote, "The top of my forehead was cut, my nose was busted, blood was all over my clothes." The unidentified man hit her in the face while she was at a pub after having dinner with her boyfriend. She added, "I have never felt more humiliated in my whole life. It ruined my whole night."

The attack left Montomery shocked and saddened. "I just don't understand how someone could treat any person like the way I was treated," she said. "It's just so sad it's the year 2020 and I am a trans woman getting assaulted for just being me!" But she also is familiar with this kind of treatment in public. "This same situation had happened with me before with my friends with a boy who just hit us all for absolutely no reason and was convicted of it.

Police Service Northern Ireland confirmed that they're treating the incident as a hate crime and are actively investigating.

The fact that Montgomery was attacked while out in a public place surrounded by people makes the story even more terrifying. It harkens back to when three trans women, Joslyn Flawless, Eden the Doll and Jaslene White Rose were robbed and viciously beaten while being filmed on a Hollywood sidewalk. Footage of that attack went viral online and showed just how common violence against trans people is.

This public attack on Montgomery in Northern Ireland adds to the high rate of violence trans people have faced this year. Several trans people have been killed by police in the US and many more have been murdered. On Monday of this week, Mia Green, a Black transgender woman, was found shot to death by Philadelphia police. She's the 29th reported violent killing of a trans person this year. Green was just 29 years old.

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