Tish Hyman, a singer who said last week that she was kicked out of a Gold’s Gym for complaining about transgender people acting inappropriately in the women’s locker room, confronted California state senator Scott Wiener at an event this week. Weiner is planning to run to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Pelosi, representing part of San Francisco. Hyman asked Weiner: “I want to support you. I have millions of people behind me, watching this right now, and we want to know, are you going to protect women? Not trans women. Women. Women and trans women are a different thing.” “If you’re a trans woman, you’re a woman,” Weiner replied. “We want everyone to be safe. And we also know that we have trans people, both men and women, who are men and women.” “Women and trans women are different things,” Tish Hyman said. “They are men. I was assaulted. They are men. I was assaulted by a man. He broke his wife’s jaw so badly she needed reconstructive surgery.” “Trans women are also brutalized in this country, and we have to protect their safety,” Weiner also said. Tish Hyman responded: “We cannot be raped in the bathrooms by men that want to say they’re women. They’re not women. I am leaving because you know what-you guys are not protecting women.” “Don’t let them use our Blackness and our civil rights as a reason to pass weird laws for children to transform. It’s wrong. My sister’s in jail-she can’t get free tampons or soap, but she can get free transformation medication. Big Pharma at its best,” Hyman said.

TISH HYMAN: Senator Weiner, as the only Black lesbian here, can I please ask you a question? Because I flew here to do that, OK? As a lesbian woman who was attacked in a women’s locker room at Gold’s Gym this week by a self-identifying trans woman with a documented history of domestic violence, I’m deeply concerned about women’s safety in female-only spaces. What would you say to women who are seeking assurance that their safety will be protected from men who, by California law, can self-identify as women and enter women-only spaces, sir? Please tell me. SEN. SCOTT WIENER: Yeah, so we want, I mean-everyone to be safe. And we also know that we have trans people, both men and women, who are men and women. And so, you know, we-if you’re a trans woman, you’re a woman. Trans women are women. HYMAN: Senator, you’ve done great things with the bills you’ve passed on housing. I’ve read a lot of your bills. But like you said, there are bills that need to be opened up, and I’m telling you now-millions of women across America are being harassed and sexually assaulted in locker rooms. I’m a lesbian Black woman. I’m not transphobic. I’m not homophobic. And I do respect a lot of the things you’ve done. But a lot of these bills that you’ve passed are dangerous for women and young children. I understand that you’re trying to be on a level playing field, and I’m here to represent my community, because I hear a lot of things about my community in these bills. And I’m telling you, as a woman first and foremost, this is dangerous, and we need your help. You’re in office, you’re going to be in the publicity spotlight. I want to support you. I have millions of people behind me watching this right now, and we want to know-are you going to protect women? Not trans women-women. [CROWD]: Whoa, uh uh. Trans women are women. TISH HYMAN: Women and trans women are different things. They are men. I was assaulted. They are men. I was assaulted by a man. He broke his wife’s jaw so badly she needed reconstructive surgery. I’m a lesbian. I’m not transphobic, and I’m Black. So if there’s another Black woman in here who wants to tell me how they feel, please join in. But all of you are not-and I don’t know who you are, what you are-but I’m a lesbian, and I’m telling you right now, men are harassing women in the locker room. [CROWD]: Let him answer the question. HYMAN: I’m just telling you-since y’all want to woo woo woo. Now I’m done. And by the way, I respect what you have done. WIENER: I appreciate your point of view. I’m so sorry that you were assaulted multiple times, and I appreciate you talking about it. I think we need to protect the safety of all women, and that’s incredibly important. And I also know that trans women are also brutalized in this country, and we have to protect their safety. HYMAN: We cannot be raped in the bathrooms by men that want to say they’re women. They’re not women. They’re not women. I’m leaving. It’s OK, but I’m not going to take it. I am leaving because you know what-you guys are not protecting women. You’re doing a lot. The bills that you’re passing for the law-I’ve read a lot of them, they’re great-but this thing with the trans, it’s not right. WIENER: Thank you very much. HYMAN: You’re welcome. And my name is Tish Hyman. Don’t let them use our Blackness and our civil rights as a reason to pass weird laws for children to transform. It’s wrong. My sister’s in jail-she can’t get free tampons or soap, but she can get free transformation medication. Big Pharma at its best. MODERATOR: Well, things were going so smoothly.

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