By Gina Martinez
Activists and elected officials joined together in a show of solidarity in Woodside last week for a transgender woman who was struck in the head with a hammer in mid-August.
The 28-year-old victim, Gaby Diaz, attended the Aug. 25 rally, held only a few blocks from where the attack took place and addressed the crowd.
“I’m nervous and at the same time I’m afraid the attacker might try to find me again,” she said through a translator. “I’m feeling very anxious because of what happened, although I’m grateful to all the people who have come here to show their support.”
On Aug. 17 at 6 a.m. Gabby was walking on 67th Street when she was struck in the back of the head with a hammer, according to police. The suspect, who police described as a black male, got out of a gray Toyota 4Runner and made a reference to Gaby being gay before striking her, according to police. The suspect then ran back to his car and drove south down 66th Street. Gaby sustained lacerations to her head and was taken to Elmhurst Medical Center, according to police. Police were investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.
“There is no room for hatred or trans phobia in our community — or anywhere,” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said. “Our trans neighbors should be able to go about their daily lives without living in fear of a vicious attack like this one. We must come together as a one community and demand an end to violence.”
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) called for more empathy for transgender people as well as more civil rights protections at the state and federal level,
“The hateful attack that took place in Woodside is not only an attack on the transgender community, but it is an attack on us all,” Crowley said. “Whenever hate rears its ugly head, it is critically important that we stand united to send a powerful message that these acts of intolerance have no place in our neighborhood, and they go against everything our community stands for.”
City Comptroller Scott Stringer cited 10 reported attacks against the trans community in Queens alone so far in 2016.
“No New Yorker should feel threatened or be attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” he said. “While I am glad that the victim of this horrific attack is expected to make a full recovery, this incident underscores the dangers our transgender community faces each and every day. We must redouble our efforts to speak up for our trans gender neighbors and create a safer, more accepting city for all.”
From 2013 to 2015, at least 53 transgender individuals were murdered in the United States, according to Van Bramer. Almost 90 percent of the victims were trans gender people of color, and a similar proportion were transgender women.
Also at the rally was public advocate Letitia James and members of the advocacy groups Make the Road New York and the New York City Anti-Violence Project. Leading members of the trans community spoke about the fear they feel in their neighborhoods and said this most recent attack is part of a bigger epidemic of violence against trans people.
“As this country continues to see the epidemic of violence that transgender women of color are facing, it is on each and every one of us to stand up and make a city and country where anti-trans violence is no longer tolerated and instead transgender women of color are valued in a society and the root causes of violence like joblessness and homelessness are addressed,” said LaLa Zanelli, lead organizer of the project.
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
