A genderqueer high school student's skirt was set on fire while they dozed on an AC Transit bus in Oakland last week, resulting in serious injuries. The mother of the 16-year-old suspect, who was arrested and is being charged with hate crime enhancements, claims it was "a joke." The suspect himself reportedly told police that homophobia caused him to light the fire. The story of Luke Sasha Fleischman, the victim, and Richard Thomas, the alleged perpetrator, has received widespread media attention locally because it was unusual and frightening. But what's been the reaction from Oakland city leaders, including the only out lesbian member of the City Council?
Mostly silence.
What should city leaders be doing?
They should proactively and forcefully speak out against homophobia and transphobia, especially among the city's young people. Yet Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland's only out elected official, would only provide a comment after we asked for one. This alleged crime has not been denounced by Mayor Jean Quan or the candidates who want to replace her next year: Joe Tuman, Bryan Parker, and, if media reports are accurate, City Councilmember Libby Schaaf.
Had this incident occurred in San Francisco, you bet LGBT political leaders would be speaking out.
The skirt-burning happened just weeks before the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, which honors murdered victims of transphobia. Fleischman is lucky they weren't killed. Still, Fleischman's facing several surgeries as a result of second- and third-degree burns. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Debbie Fleischman told the Oakland Tribune that Fleischman considers themselves agender. "He likes wearing a skirt," she told the paper. "It's his statement. That's how he feels comfortable dressing." [Fleischman's father, Karl, posted a message on Facebook this week indicating that Sasha Fleischman prefers the pronouns "they," "them," and "their" when referring to Fleischman in the third person.]
Setting someone on fire because of their clothes is not a joke or prank gone awry. As Alameda County prosecutors correctly see it, it's a felony, and Thomas surely isn't laughing at the possibility of life in prison because he apparently couldn't handle someone dressing differently.
But the silence of Oakland's city officials is also problematic. Adults and youth need to hear leaders reject this senseless violence, just as they regularly condemn the gun violence that kills children. Community leaders need to raise their voices. As more transgender, agender, and gender non-conforming people come out at younger ages, other kids need to learn that it's okay to accept rather than reject them.
Shying away from genderqueer stories won't make them go away. In fact, transgender and other gender non-conforming students are likely to be front and center next year. Transphobes – led by Frank Schubert of 2008's anti-gay Yes on 8 campaign – have almost qualified a referendum for the 2014 ballot that seeks to repeal a groundbreaking law, Assembly Bill 1266, which ensures that transgender youth can fully participate in all school activities, sports teams, programs, and facilities that match their gender identity.
For years we've heard the false arguments that transgender women will infiltrate women's restrooms and assault biological women – and we'll probably see a nasty ad campaign complete with the mysterious transgender sexual predator in the girl's restroom as these religious zealots desperately attempt to end equality. It's a sorry time we live in whereby schoolchildren can be persecuted for who they are. The adults behind this anti-trans campaign are even sorrier. They've clearly lost the marriage equality battle and are now targeting transgender people. Why else would the National Organization for Marriage get involved in an education issue?
Oakland's politicians seem paralyzed, unable or unwilling to proactively comment on matters that affect city residents. Setting a person's clothing on fire aboard a bus is not rational. This was a senseless act of violence that could have ended tragically. And if Mr. Thomas's family members really believe his alleged actions were done in jest, well, they have serious problems.
It's time for Oakland leaders to stand up for vulnerable residents. The louder the message, the more likely it will resonate. Silence is no way to make the city safer for its citizens.