US: New York transgender college student attacked at local bar
A transgender State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo student was assaulted early Saturday morning after leaving a bar with friends.
The student, whose name has not been released, said 20-year-old Roric Brown called her a homophobic name, threw a drink at her, and punched her in the stomach and throat.
Geneseo Police is calling the incident a hate crime, but the district attorney’s office is still determining whether or not to upgrade the second-degree aggravated harassment charges to a hate crime.
Bella Rabinovich, president of SUNY Geneseo Pride Alliance, said that the incident was most definitely a hate crime because the victim was targeted for her gender identity.
She said: “Oh, yeah, absolutely. It was based on gender, and what they were wearing, gender expression and gender were used, the f-word as well.”
Brown told the Genesee Sun the act was a case of drunkenness and had nothing to do with gender identity.
He said: “This was just drunken stupidness and a bar argument. I have nothing against homosexual or transgender people in anyway.”
Brown, who was expelled from SUNY Geneseo last year for charges of arson, has a court date set for early October.
