PA’s hate-crime law still leaves many groups out

By Emily DeMarco | PublicSource | Nov. 24, 2013

Jane’s whole life has been like one long hate crime. As a teenager, her classmates beat her to a pulp because she shaved her legs. Her family believed that praying would cure what the belt didn’t. Jane was born a man. Today, she is a woman. Jane, a transgender woman, asked PublicSource not to use her name because of fear that she might be targeted. She completed her transition from male to female in rural Pennsylvania about two years ago.

“You start to hate yourself,” said Jane, 59, who is tall, with fair skin and a quiet, even voice. The color on her cheekbones matched her rose-colored sweater, with three pearl buttons dotting the collar.

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(Photo credit: Alexandra Kanik / PublicSource)