Transgender women demand apology after being thrown out of downtown LA bar
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A group that says they were verbally attacked with transphobic slurs and forcefully removed from a bar in downtown Los Angeles spoke out about the incident during a press conference Monday.
The group addressed the incident alongside their attorney Lisa Bloom.
The group says they were celebrating the LGBTQ community at DTLA Proud Festival in August before they say they became victims of a hate crime at Las Perlas bar.
They say the altercation began when one of the woman in the group was verbally attacked with transphobic slurs by another woman and man at the bar.
"This horrifying experience was humiliating, physically damaging and emotionally traumatizing," said Khloe Rios, who was involved in the confrontation at the bar.
"They escalated their harassment from words to physical violence when they attempted to attack Fernanda. When we tried to intervene to prevent injury to Fernanda the transphobic couple only became more violent," Jennifer Bianchi said.
VIDEO: 2 trans women, gay man ejected from DTLA bar after alleged altercation with other group
They say they told the bar's security what was happening, and the couple who had started the incident were thrown out.
Then the group was removed as well.
The owner Pouring With Heart, says its policy is to ask both groups to leave. The guards had to remove those who refused.
"Their policy is to remove everyone from any incident. Well, that policy put our lives in danger," said Jorge Diaz, who was removed from the bar during the altercation.
They claim when they were outside, the original couple from the bar threatened to get a gun and shoot them.
"Both "sides-ism" is the lazy and false belief that everyone is equally at fault," Bloom said.
The company issued a statement after the incident, saying it is hiring new security and wants to "...apologize to all of our guests including the Transgender community, a community who has come to our bar as well as works there. We are taking immediate steps to fully investigate what happened..."
Bloom says that's not enough.
"We ask that Las Perlas and the security company immediately institute comprehensive LGBTQ sensitivity training across their locations," said Bloom.
The group also wants a public apology, money for medical bills and pain and suffering.
They say they plan to go to court if their demands are not met.
