by BJW Nashe
While many Americans were deeply involved in the annual retail orgy known as Black Friday — waiting in lines, pushing and shoving, and even shooting and stabbing each other in the midst of all the excitement — a Bay Area teenager named Sasha Fleishman was setting a far better example of what it means to be a progressive U.S. citizen. Released from the hospital just in time for Thanksgiving, Fleishman, an 18 year-old high school student, told TV reporters he was grateful to be home with his family. In his remarks he also expressed the need for fairness in the prosecution of the 16 year-old who set him on fire while he was riding a bus in Oakland nearly a month ago. Fleishman said he thinks his assailant should be charged as a juvenile. ”I don’t want to be too harsh,” he said, “just because people do dumb things.”
Sasha in his Bay Area home wearing skirt
There are dumb actions and there are evil actions. The attack on Fleishman was either a stupid prank gone horribly wrong, a homophobic hate crime, or some combination of both. The key ingredient here is a simple skirt. Sasha Fleishman, who identifies as an “agender” individual, frequently wears skirts in his daily life. These are nothing loud or flamboyant. He is not a colorful drag queen. Nor should this even matter. I’m just pointing out that Fleishman does not dress up to seek attention. He simply feels comfortable wearing plain skirts. Apparently even this is enough to set some people off, however, here in the “land of the free.”
On November 4, when Richard Thomas noticed Fleishman in a skirt, dozing off on the bus they were riding to East Oakland, he decided to set the youth’s skirt on fire. Once Fleishman was startled awake, neither he or Thomas was unable to put the blaze out before Fleishman suffered serious injuries. Fleishman was rushed to the hospital, where he was treated for second- and third-degree burns.
On the day after the assault, November 5, Thomas was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and mayhem, and is now being charged with a hate crime as an adult. Thomas told authorities that he set Fleishman’s skirt on fire because he, Thomas, was “homophobic.” We should emphasize the “phobic” part of the word here. This incident, and others just like it, are all about
Richard Thomas’ mother, Mrs. Jackson, leaves courthouse
fear, and fear’s close cousin, anger. When people see someone who looks or behaves in a manner that is “different” from the “norm” — especially when it comes to gender roles and sexuality — when they encounter this, sometimes people become uncomfortable and afraid. Perhaps they are afraid that they too might be somehow “different.” (After all, who really is “normal?”) In their fear and confusion, they might lash out and do all sorts of stupid things. They rarely light people on fire. They are more likely to taunt and bully someone at school or on social media sites. They might try to keep a “different” person from getting hired for a job. Or they might try to get a “different” person fired from a job, or passed up for a promotion. They might attend churches where various kinds of “otherness,” including homosexual behavior, is considered a “sin.” They might join protests against “gay marriage,” and crusade on behalf of “defense of marriage” acts being bandied about in Congress. They might regularly use words such as “gay” and “faggot” as slurs, or merely as slang for “lame” or “stupid.”
Banner supporting Sasha’s right to be different
Fleishman claims that he has received little or no negative attention in the East Bay, which tends to be highly tolerant. Fortunately, this single incident, though painful, appears unlikely to hinder him as he moves forward in life. He was released from the hospital just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. His legs are still wrapped in bandages, but he is grateful to be home with his family. “I can’t walk as fast,” he told TV reporters, “and I need to be more careful physically.” Fleischman also said that he plans to go back to school on Monday, December 2, adding that skirts will still be part of his wardrobe. “That’s something that I’m not going to give up,” Fleischman said. “It’s a big part of who I am.”
Sasha is glad to be alive
Fleishman has received an outpouring of support from the Bay Area community. Some gay rights activists have been understandably outspoken in their support of the hate crime charges against his assailant, Thomas. Others are urging the community to use this incident as an opportunity to not just seek retribution, but also to raise awareness and educate others on tolerance regarding LGBT issues. No doubt this case highlights the need for both legal justice and social progress. Many American states have made solid progress when it comes to prosecuting hate crimes and recognizing marriage equality. Still, we see large segments of the population firmly entrenched in conservative political views based on restricting the rights of women, minorities, and the LGBT community. In many states, it is still legal to practice employment discrimination based on sexual preference.
The best tools we can use against conservative fear and hatred and bigotry are knowledge and education. Sasha Fleishman is to be commended as a model of strength, tolerance, and understanding. All American kids in school need to know his name by now.