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A Memphis high school student says she is being targeted because she is transgender and has had to withstand a barrage of bullying and taunting.
According to local FOX affiliate WHBQ-TV, on Monday, Keloni Grand was allegedly threatened by a group of boys from Melrose High School who she believes called her names and threatened to hurt her over her gender identity.
Grand says that when she attempted to walk away, the group followed her around, continuing to taunt her until one of them spit on her. Ultimately they ended up making death threats, which prompted her to come forward.
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“They were saying the usual names,” said Grand. “‘You f****t, you gay, you t****y. We ready to fight you. We ready to beat you, we are going to shoot you, we going to kill you.’”
Monday afternoon when school let out, the boys allegedly returned to fight Grant while she was speaking to a classmate.
“I was like, ‘Why you always messing with me? Can’t you leave me alone?’” she recalls.
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Grand says she’s been bullied before, but it’s only gotten worse since she started transitioning from male to female at the beginning of the month. Despite reporting the behavior on two different occasions, school faculty has failed to step in to protect her.
“Sometimes, I think I should hide myself, but people tell me to keep pushing and be myself,” Grand said.
During this week’s attack, fortunately the teen’s grandmother and aunt arrived on the scene in time to remove her from harm’s way. But the family is now considering transferring her to a different school for her safety.
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“There were 15, 16 guys out there, and I said, ‘All of them want to fight you for what?’” said the girl’s aunt, who requested she not be identified.
Martavius Hampton, who works with “Out Memphis,” an advocacy group for the LGBTQ community, spoke with WHBQ-TV about the incident and stressed how it is up to the school administration to set the right tone in these incidents.
“Want to make sure if someone makes a report or complaint that it’s followed through and it’s respected to make sure the student is safe or protected,” Hampton said.
“It’s unbelievable,” admits Grand. “It’s shocking that I have to be removed from a situation because people don’t like who I am.”
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