Pose star Hailie Sahar says she was ‘sexually molested’ by a police officer as a trans teenager
Hailie Sahar (Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Pose star Hailie Sahar has revealed that she was sexually assaulted by a police officer when she was underage.
The actor made the comments in a town hall virtual meeting on police brutality with ABC13 yesterday.
Sahar, who plays Lulu Abundance on Pose, said the topic of police brutality is “very touchy” for her.
“I know that my trans brothers and sisters have nothing but trauma in the things that we’ve been through, so on our end, of course, none of us want to be killed or harmed,” the actor said.
“We all want to have equal rights. But on the other end, the other party has to be willing to grow as well.
Pose star Hailie Sahar said she was ‘sexually molested’ by a police officer as a teenager.
Sahar continued: “I myself have never publicly said this but this is the time and I’m gonna say it.
“There was a point in my life when I was underage, I transitioned as a teenager – medically and socially – and there was a time in my life when I was sexually molested by a police officer.
She continued: “And to have this conversation and ask if there is room to grow, of course there’s room for us to grow, we just want to be loved and accepted. But the other people, the other party has to be on the same accord, and they’re not.
Sahar said she wants to look on the bright side and believe change can happen within the police force in the United States, but does not see any serious efforts being made.
The actress was joined by her Pose co-stars Dominique Jackson (Elektra) and Angelica Ross (Candy), who also shared their traumatic experiences at the hands of police.
As a Black trans woman, I have nothing but trauma when it comes to my relationship with police.
Ross said she would like to see the police being defunded.
“As a Black trans woman, I have nothing but trauma when it comes to my relationship with police,” Ross said.
“I have barely escaped the interrogation and violent gaze, just walking across the street, in Los Angeles. Being called over to the car by a cop… there’s so much going on.
“We want to talk about education, but we have to point out the fact that there’s so much knowledge that’s already there, because many of the cops are the girls’ clients, so they already know they exist, they know where to find them just like you’ve seen in movies.”
Ross added: “When you tell our community or talk to us about training and all these things, we’re just like, ‘My goodness’.”
She said police officers respond in inadequate and inappropriate ways to various situations and believes they are not equipped to respond to mental health challenges.
Dominique Jackson said she ‘did not feel protected’ by police when she has faced violence.
Dominique Jackson also shared her story of mistreatment at the hands of police.
“The police for a very long time, especially in my life, were not people that I looked to for help, because in instances of looking for them for help, you were shamed, you were misgendered,” she said.
Jackson said that police once came to her aid when she was facing violence, but once they saw her ID, they “dismissed the case and the violence” she was going through.
“So therefore I did not feel protected whatsoever.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of sexual violence. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
