The city of Boston has agreed to pay a transgender woman $20,000 in exchange for dropping her suit against the officers who arrested her on disorderly conduct at a homeless shelter, in a case that highlights the department’s absence of written policies for dealing with transgender people.
The officers who arrested Brenda Wernikoff are now being investigated by the department’s internal affairs division.
Comments
Thirty Grand...
DUDE broke into a woman's bathroom and got 20K.
THis is exactly what is wrong with a "progressive" society.
To Semi quote Aerosmith Dude doesn't look like a lady
but got 20k for bieng misunderstood
dude looks a lot like the leprechaun in those bad movies...
How are we women supposed to tell transgenders from a man who wants to abuse a woman in the ladies?
Whenever I see someone who does not 'belong' I will call 911. Young children use the ladies as it is a 'safe' place. Not any more, now anyone can come in - saying transgender.
If she dropped the suit because the city worked out a new written policy on how to deal with transgendered people I would have a lot more respect. This feels like a money grab to me and not much more.
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The transgendered face discrimination and hate violence. Many do not understand what it means - or can imagine what it is like. $20,000 is pretty ridiculous. It would be better to put the money toward programs that explain to the police, to people, what transgender is; that all of us deserve respect at any given moment.
I forgot to write that I support the police in this. They have a rough enough job as it is, how are they now supposed to tell who 'belongs' in the ladies and who doesn't? I feel sorry for the real transgenders but this law has given rapists an open door to the 'ladies'
I always caution visitors from other countries that the U.S. police are very, very dangerous: Far more dangerous than they can possibly imagine.
cantabrigian01...
can't say I'm always a fan of the police here..... but if you think the US police are more dangerous than others...you are WOEFULLY ignorant.
Poor cops. wait until its smoking pot in the ladies bathroom. Then they will have to decide weather or not to write it a ticket for smoking pot in the ladies rest room. Good Grief
The city's policy seems silly. Can I say I "identify" as a woman, then walk into any women's bathroom? How is anyone supposed to know how someone "identifies," anyway? Take their word for it? I'm not buying that police officers made the plaintiff do naked jumping jacks, either. That's just not believable.
For the most part, the comments here are idiotic. Didn't anyone actually read the story? Sammihd, you ask how the cops are supposed to tell... How about if they look at the person's ID? She tried to show them her driver's license, but the cop refused to even look at it, and kept calling her "Sir". Also, would you tell people you were transgender just so you could get your jollies by hanging out in a womens (or mens) restroom? Get real!
Homedel, why would the cops have to make a choice? If you are a man smoking pot in the ladies, they would write two tickets, just as they could if you were speeding and failed to yield at an intersection. Not very hard. Even a Boston cop could figure this out.
What are you smoking?
Plenty of degenerates would do just that:
"Also, would you tell people you were transgender just so you could get your jollies by hanging out in a womens (or mens) restroom?"
I'm sorry the guy is going thru a tough patch, but if I saw him wander in a bathroom that my wife was in...I'd be calling 911 as I ran in to protect her....(my wife that is)
Mrbrightside, same as with sammiehd... Ask for ID. Or anyone who knows her, she had been at the shelter for a year.
Could this happen anywhere but Boston or San Francisco?
Seems like the cops acted like jerks in many ways (What's up with not letting this person show an ID?). Seems they should be respectul and professional of everyone they come across.
But I'm not entirely sold that we need 100% equal rights for yet another protected class. This person just does not look like a woman, and I'd have a hard time keeping a straight face or using female pronouns.
Agree with a prior commenter that the money should go towards education, not line her (?) pockets.