Transgender woman knocked unconscious at SC club after confrontation over her gender, police say

After a transgender woman was assaulted outside of a Charleston nightclub Aug. 19, police have determined the man who attacked her confronted her about her gender identity, according to a statement from the police department.

The woman was part of a confrontation outside of the Deco Nightclub at about 2 a.m., which she was leaving with her sister and another individual, according to the Tuesday statement.

They passed a man they didn’t know on the patio of the club, where he confronted the woman about the gender she identified as, according to the statement.

The woman was near the parking area at the club when her sister was kicked in the stomach by the man, according to the incident report. When the transgender woman tried to defend her sister, she was also assaulted.

While helping her sister, she was punched in the head and knocked unconscious, according to the statement. The man then ran away.

Police did not say whether the woman was targeted because of her gender identity, but it was mentioned before the assault, according to the statement. Officers previously stated she “wasn’t assaulted because she’s a transgender.”

The investigation into that incident is ongoing.

Charleston Police officers are working with the Alliance For Full Acceptance, an LGBTQ advocacy group in the area, on the investigation, according to the statement.

This story was originally published August 28, 2018 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Transgender woman knocked unconscious at SC club after confrontation over her gender, police say."