Trans Woman attacked at Barton Springs, Austin, TX – Photo: brigittebandit via Instagram
Austin police are investigating whether an assault on a transgender woman and a male bystander at Barton Springs, a popular Austin swimming spot, was a hate crime. The incident occurred on July 26, when three men began flirting with the woman’s friends and then allegedly harassed her after she approached them.
“They said something along the lines of ‘I don’t support that lifestyle,’ while pointing at me, which upset all three of us,” said the transgender woman, whose name is being withheld for safety and privacy reasons, in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.
The men grew aggressive, yelling in the women’s faces, accusing two of them of also being transgender, poking them in the breasts, and shoving them violently, according to a witness who spoke to Austin NBC affiliate KXAN.
A bystander, identified as Jarod, stepped in to defend the women. He and one of the men, described as wearing orange shorts, began tussling when another attacker — described as Hispanic and wearing a cowboy hat with black shorts featuring three white stripes — sucker-punched Jarod from the side, knocking him unconscious. A third man, with long hair and wearing green shorts, also took part in the fracas.
The transgender woman rushed to Jarod’s side to help him, but was punched in the face by the man in orange shorts. At one point, a friend of hers, identified only as “Tokyo,” was shoved to the ground before the men fled the scene.
Austin-based drag performer Brigitte Bandit posted an account of the attack on Instagram, asking followers to help identify the assailants. By Tuesday, Bandit reported they had been identified and that information about their possible identities had been forwarded to Austin police.
Jarod, a construction worker and father, sustained head gashes, a concussion, and a broken jaw that will require surgery, according to his family. A verified GoFundMe campaign to cover his medical expenses raised more than $74,000 — over three-and-a-half times its $20,000 goal. It has since been turned off.
“We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated, shared, and supported our family during this incredibly difficult time,” the family wrote in an update. “Your generosity and kindness have meant more than we can put into words…. If you’re still looking for ways to support, we encourage you to consider donating to local organizations that advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and anti-violence initiatives.”
The transgender woman at the center of the incident told the Houston Chronicle that Jarod was “an absolute angel.”
“I had never known him before that day, but he stood up for me when I was being harassed and he took the brunt of the assault,” she said. “He deserves every penny to help pay for his surgery and his time off work to take care of himself and his kid.”
Austin police said the case is under review by the department’s Hate Crime Review Committee. If the committee determines the offense was motivated by bias or prejudice, it will notify the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, which will decide whether to pursue bias enhancements along with any assault or other criminal charges.
Police are asking the public to submit photos, videos, and other information about the attack by calling Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS (8477) or visiting austincrimestoppers.org.
Baylor University, a Baptist college in Waco, Texas, is rescinding a $643,000 grant it received to study the inclusion of LGBTQ people and women in the church.
The grant, awarded to Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact in the School of Social Work, came from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which funds progressive, faith-related initiatives focused on church-state separation, interfaith projects, and social justice.
The money was intended to "help foster inclusion and belonging in the church" by funding research into "the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations," with the goal of encouraging more inclusive practices.
Luke Ash, a Baptist pastor who worked at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, says he was fired after refusing to use a trans co-worker's preferred pronouns.
Luke Ash, lead pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, says he was fired from his job as a library technician at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library after refusing to use a co-worker's preferred pronouns. He was reportedly dismissed after referring to the colleague by female pronouns during a July 7 conversation with another library employee.
"That co-worker corrected me, said that the person she was training preferred to be called 'he,' and I refused to use those preferred pronouns," Ash told anti-LGBTQ activist and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins during an interview on the conservative Christian political show Washington Watch with Tony Perkins.
Roman Catholic priests will continue to be permitted to offer blessings to individuals in same-sex relationships under Pope Leo XIV, maintaining a policy approved by his predecessor, Pope Francis, that has drawn criticism from conservative Catholics.
The continuation of the policy was confirmed on July 3 by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, in an interview with the Rome-based daily Il Messaggero. The Vatican did not issue an official statement, according to the National Catholic Reporter.
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