Teen Says She Was Forced to Prove Her Gender in Public Bathroom
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
An advocacy group filed a charge of discrimination on behalf of 18-year-old Gerika Mudra after a Buffalo Wild Wings server allegedly followed her into a women's restroom in Minnesota and accused her of being a male.
The server left only after Mudra showed she had breasts, according to advocacy group Gender Justice. The group said Mudra is a biracial lesbian teenager, and she is not transgender.
Newsweek reached out to Inspire Brands, which owns Buffalo Wild Wings, for comment.
Stock image: A women's restroom sign.
Stock image: A women's restroom sign.
photovs/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Judicial Watch said the incident reflects growing fear and suspicion fueled by anti-transgender rhetoric, political attacks and misinformation. The group said the environment has encouraged policing of bodies and identities.
Establishments open to the public in Minnesota cannot discriminate based on gender identity or expression under state law.
What To Know
Mudra told KTTC that she went to eat at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Owatonna in April.
Jess Braverman, legal director at Judicial Watch, said a server came into the bathroom while Mudra was inside and banged on the stall door. The server accused Mudra of being a male in the women's room and forced her out of the stall, according to Braverman.
Braverman said Mudra was not allowed to leave the bathroom until she unzipped her hoodie and showed that she had breasts.
Mudra told KTTC that the server left the bathroom without apologizing.
Gender Justice filed a charge of discrimination with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Mudra's behalf, which is a written statement alleging discrimination and not a lawsuit.
What People Are Saying
Gerika Mudra, charging party, in a video posted by Gender Justice: "She made me feel very uncomfortable. Now, after that, I just don't like going in public bathrooms. I just hold it in."
Jess Braverman, legal director at Gender Justice, in a video posted by the advocacy group: "It's really upsetting, it should never happen to anyone. Our client's only 18 years old, she's still in high school."
Megan Peterson, executive director at Gender Justice, in a statement: "Gerika's story sits at the intersection of anti-LGBTQ+ panic, racism, and rigid gender norms and stereotypes."
What Happens Next
The charge has been filed with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, an agency tasked with upholding the Minnesota Human Rights Act and investigating charges of discrimination.
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