New today: On July 26, 2025, an apparent transphobic attack took place at Barton Springs, Austin’s world-famous freshwater spring-fed swimming hole, leaving multiple injuries including a hospitalized “Good Samaritan.”
The incident feels like a sadly typical escalation of male violence and entitlement towards femme bodies, as the victims reported that the attack began with sexual harassment against three women, one of whom was transgender. Harassment became transphobic slurs and turned to groping when the women objected. Jarod Adkison, a man who had befriended the women during the afternoon before the incident, attempted to step in and help them defend themselves. He told me later he woke up in the hospital with no memory of the blow that broke his jaw and sent him sprawling. One of the cis women also stepped in to protect her trans friend and was violently thrown to the ground.
The attack was shocking, coming as it did in broad daylight, just outside the official boundaries of the Barton Springs swimming area. Austin famously came together in 1990 to defend Barton Springs from a massive development, swarming a city council meeting with 12 hours of protest, testimony and chanting. Their action ensured that the Springs remain a beloved place to swim.
Read more at Deceleration: https://deceleration.news/queer-ecology-trans-attack-barton-springs-polish-rivers/
#news #LGBTQ+ #LGBTQIA #transgender #trans #fascism #environment #water #politics #USpol #Texas #Austin
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