Beating of Chrissy Lee Polis facts for kids
Chrissy Lee Polis is a transgender woman. In 2011, she was attacked at a McDonald's in Rosedale, Maryland. A video of the attack was shared widely online. This event helped people learn more about violence against transgender people. It also led to new laws in Maryland to protect transgender individuals.
A state law that would have protected transgender people did not pass shortly before the attack. After the incident, Governor Martin O'Malley said he wanted to work on a new bill. This bill would provide more protections for transgender people. Also, Howard County passed its own law. This law protected transgender people within its area.
The Attack at McDonald's
On April 18, 2011, two teenagers attacked Chrissy Lee Polis. This happened at a McDonald's in Rosedale, Maryland. Rosedale is a community in Baltimore County. Chrissy was 22 years old at the time. She said she was going to use the restroom. Then, one person spat in her face. After that, she and another person started attacking Chrissy. One of the attackers was 14 years old.
A McDonald's employee filmed the attack. Other employees and a customer tried to stop it. Some employees in the video were heard laughing. The employee who filmed the incident was later fired. Chrissy said she had a medical episode during the attack. She also got cuts on her face and mouth. Chrissy believed the attack happened because she is transgender.
The Video Goes Viral
A three-minute video of the attack was posted online. It quickly became very popular. The video was first on YouTube. It was later taken down. But it was then posted on other websites. On one website, the video got over 500,000 views. This happened by April 22, 2012.
The Drudge Report website shared the video. It was a very important story for a whole day. McDonald's released a statement. They said they fired the employee who filmed the incident.
Aftermath and New Protections
The video helped show how vulnerable transgender people were. It also highlighted their lack of protection in Baltimore. The week after the attack, hundreds of people protested. They wanted to show their anger about the incident. Organizations that support transgender people used this event. They wanted to highlight violence against transgender people.
Before the attack, a proposed Maryland law failed to pass. This law would have added protections for transgender people. The version that did pass did not include these protections.
By November 2011, a new bill was being discussed. This bill would add protections for transgender people. It was for the government of Howard County, Maryland. On December 5, 2011, Howard County passed the law. This law gave protections to transgender people in the county.
