(Photo Credit: Brian Feinzimer)

Las Perlas is being protested after unequal treatment of transgender patrons

Transgender women who were dragged from a Los Angeles bar after a confrontation with homophobic patrons are demanding an apology. The women were seen on camera being forcibly removed from the bar Las Perlas by security guards, which angered many in Los Angeles’ LGBT community.

The video even showed a bouncer putting one of the four women in a headlock. Las Perlas defended its actions by saying it also removed the homophobic instigators, and that it has “zero tolerance” for verbal and physical confrontations.

“Shortly after we arrived at Las Perlas, the transphobic man and woman at the bar — both of whom were very intoxicated — proceeded to hurl transphobic slurs at us, accusing my coworkers and I of being men and calling us all f—–s,” one of the alleged victims, Khloe Perez-Rios said. “The couple then threatened our lives by saying, ‘ I’m going to come back and kill you all, f—–s.”

Perez-Rios and the other victims said Las Perlas needs to do a better job of addressing the needs of LGBT patrons, or face a boycott.

“I feel like my rights to have been violated,” one of the victims told KTLA Los Angeles. “That’s why I’m here, not for me, but because my transgender community is damaged and bothered. For all of history, biological women have fought to have the same rights as men. I think it’s time to tell society that transgender women are humans, and we also have the same rights.”