San Francisco is known for being an LGBT-friendly city, so it made sense for 25-year-old transgender woman Samantha Hulsey to move there from Georgia in 2013. However, since moving to the West Coast, Hulsey has been assaulted on two separate occasions while out with a partner, according to SFGate—the second just occurred this past Sunday.
After going out to dinner and a movie with her fiancee, Daira Hopwood, the two were walking outside when a couple began hurling transphobic slurs at them. Dewayne Kemp and Rebecca Westover then threw hot coffee in Hulsey’s face and began punching her in the head and face.
“I was in fight-or-flight mode. I had fear for my own life,” Hulsey told SFGate about the attack. “The person said, ‘Do you want to die?’ He threatened to kill me.” Thankfully, passersby caught the attention of police officers, who arrested Kemp and Westover on the scene. They are currently being held at the San Francisco County Jail.
Sadly, this is not even the first time Hulsey has been the victim of violence since moving to San Francisco. In January, a man followed her off of a bus before attacking her and stabbing her twice. Her first attacker could face a life sentence if convicted of all charges.
“It’s disturbing to me,” Hulsey said. “I came here for safety and acceptance. It’s not OK for people to do this anywhere — especially here.”
Husley’s story shows just how much farther we have to go to make the world safe for transgender people.