A transgender teenage boy was badly beaten by a large group of other teens in Gloucester, MA. Many of the attackers are on the Gloucester High School football team. The 16-year-old Jayden Tkaczyk stated, "One second, I was having fun, the next second, I was on the ground getting my face stomped & beat up. They were just saying the F slur over & over & over as they were punching me & stomping me.” He is recovering from a broken bone in his face, nerve damage, a head injury & bruises all over his body. Jayden's mother Jasmine Tkaczyk added, "This has always been my worst fear as a mom of a trans teen, getting that phone call that your son is in the hospital for getting beaten up." Mass Equality stated, “Mass Equality was horrified to hear of the brutal beating of a transgender Gloucester teenage boy, by members of the Gloucester High School Football team on Friday night. With compassion, we extend our heartfelt thoughts to the student, their family & everyone touched by this loss within the community & beyond. Mass Equality has been in direct contact with the victim’s family & will be working, alongside our partner organizations to provide support. We will also work with the schools & community in Gloucester to ensure that they have the resources that they need to combat hate & violence & demand accountability for the actions of those who were responsible for this attack. Violence against the LGBTQ+ community has been on the rise across the nation & in Massachusetts. Per the Department of Justice, hate crimes motivated by gender identity more than doubled between 2020 & 20221 & nearly doubled for those based on sexual
orientation.”
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