Ebony Belcher, a transgender D.C. woman, says that she was forced out of a women’s restroom by a security guard at a Giants grocery store.
According to a WRC-TV report, Belcher was at the grocery store when she asked an employee where the bathrooms were. On the way, she passed a female security guard, and the officer went after her into the bathroom to tell her to get out.
“She opened the door and came in and started calling me derogatory names,” Belcher said.
Belcher said that the officer then put a hand on her shoulder and arm and pushed her out of the store, then told her, “You guys cannot keep coming in here and using our women’s restroom. They did not pass the law yet.”
Belcher reported the incident to police after leaving the store, and the guard was reportedly arrested at the Giant store.
Giant has since released a statement on the matter, saying:
As this matter involves a third party that provides security services for Giant and there’s an ongoing criminal investigation, all inquiries related to the incident at the H Street Giant should be directed to the local police for a comment at this time.