Transgender woman spat on and attacked on New York subway platform

A woman said she was attacked on a New York City subway train on Friday night for being trans.

Serena Daniari, a trans activist and journalist, said a couple spit on her, hit her and called her transphobic slurs.

“I wish people would just leave me alone,” Ms Daniari said in a tearful video she posted to her Twitter account following the attack. “I don’t do anything, I just want to be left alone.”

According to police, the unidentified couple left the station following their attack on Ms Daniari.

In a statement to BuzzFeed, Daniari said she was waiting for a train with her headphones in and reading a book when a man and a woman walked up to her and began talking to her.

Ms Daniari said she took her headphones off and asked the man to repeat himself. After hearing her voice he began to harass her, calling her a guy and using other transphobic language.

"It only escalated to an aggressive situation after he realised I'm transgender," she said.

The man then spit on her and slapped her face.

Speaking to the New York Post, Ms Daniari said that she attempted to take a picture of the couple, but the woman slapped the phone out of her hands and began shouting slurs at her.

“She was saying, ‘she definitely has a d–k, she definitely has a d–k,’” Ms Daniari said.

As Ms Daniari’s account sparked an outcry online, several New York City officials reached out to assure people they were investigating the assault.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio replied to Ms Daniari’s video on Saturday, apologising on behalf of the city.

“Serena, on behalf of the city I’m so sorry this happened. Transgender and non-binary New Yorkers deserve to travel in their city without fear,” he said.

On Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was directing a hate crimes task force to investigate the attack.

“I’m directing the @NYSPolice Hate Crimes Task Force to assist in investigating this sickening attack. On behalf of the NY family, I'm so sorry this happened, @serenajazmine​. We stand with you in love & respect and we will catch the cowards who did this & bring them to justice.”

Ms Daniari took to Twitter to thank those who were supportive and sympathetic to her on Sunday. She emphasised that her attackers only knew she was trans due to her voice.

“One comment to address: for those asking how the perpetrators knew I was trans, it was upon hearing my voice. The man did not initially know that I was trans when he approached me,” she wrote.

Ms Daniari’s pinned tweet links to a story she worked on last year examining the process of voice feminization and its importance to trans individuals who identify as female.

Ms Daniari said experiencing transphobia wasn’t uncommon for her or her friends.

“It’s a common experience while navigating through public spaces. I’ve heard it from my LGBTQ friends and colleagues,” she told The Post.

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