Police in northeast Washington, D.C. charged a security guard with assault on Wednesday after she physically forced a transgender woman out of a grocery store women’s bathroom, local TV station WRC reported.
Ebony Belcher, 32, told the news outlet that a female security followed her into the restroom of a Giant grocery store and told her to leave the store.
“She opened the door and came in and started calling me derogatory names,” Belcher said.
The guard then grabbed her by the shoulder and arm and pushed her out of the store, Belcher told WRC.
After Belcher reported the incident to police, officers arrested the guard, who was not identified, and charged her with simple assault, according to the report.
Giant said in a statement issued to WRC that store security was provided by an independent contractor.
“As this matter involves a third party that provides security services for Giant and there’s an ongoing criminal investigation, all inquiries related to the incident at the H Street Giant should be directed to the local police for a comment at this time,” the statement read.
Belcher told ABC affiliate WJLA that she was rattled and “hurt” by the incident.
“I’m distraught,” Belcher said. “People should not be discriminated based on their gender identity.”
The altercation comes amid a national debate over whether transgender people have a right to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. State legislatures across the South have passed so-called “bathroom bills” that mandate people use public restrooms that correspond with their birth sex.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration has issued a directive to public school districts across the country urging them to allow students to use the bathrooms of their choice.
