A trans man who was recently denied access to the men's bathroom in a California cannabis dispensary managed to capture the incident on video and post it to TikTok, where it went viral and provoked widespread outrage among viewers.
The TikToker, who goes by Dev on the social media platform, used an on-screen caption to explain how he was even forced to prove his gender by showing his ID to the dispensary's clerk just moments before filming.
According to Dev's caption, that wasn't good enough for the clerk.
"Started filming right after I showed my ID with male gender marker, and she says it still doesn't matter.."
In the video itself, Dev asked the clerk to repeat what she had said before he filmed. But of course, she did not repeat that on camera.
The clip did, however, capture the argument between Dev and the clerk. She accused Dev of being "aggressive toward a woman" and suggested he "try to get over whatever is bothering [him]."
Dev's answer to that question was simple:
"The way you're treating me is what's bothering me."
@devroyal100 Kicked out & banned from @fourtwentybank in Palm Springs CA for trying to use the mens bathroom as a transman 😓😡 #discrimination #lgbtq #stitch #ftm
In a series of follow-up videos, Dev sat down and walked viewers through the entire ordeal.
But first, he shared a moving clip that captured the raw emotions he felt after it all.
@devroyal100 This is hard for me to watch. It gives me dysphoria to see myself crying but I'm posting bc I want ppl to know our struggle. Pls we're human. #trans
According to the follow-up videos, it all happened at 420 Bank and Dispensary in Palm Springs, California, a store Dev had visited multiple times before this incident.
He hung out in the lounge for about 45 minutes and ran into a problem when he tried to use the men's bathroom. A woman, the clerk in the clip, blocked his way and told him he couldn't use that bathroom.
Specifically, the woman asked, "what parts do you have?" and went on to claim that Dev was "going to be looking at men's parts and we can't have that."
Dev was shocked.
@devroyal100 PART 1: full story of twenty four bank dispensary and lounge in Palm Springs, CA #translivesmatter #lgbtq #bathroom #story #ftm #transman #transphobia
The clerk went on to tell Dev he could go into the men's room only if they were certain no other men were using the bathroom at that time.
Dev, in an attempt to prove he should use the bathroom, showed the clerk his ID, which listed his gender.
The clerk said that wasn't enough because Dev had changed it and Dev was born a woman.
According to Dev, that was the moment that broke him—and the moment he decided to begin filming.
@devroyal100 PART 6: Full story of @fourtwentybank dispensary and lounge in Palm Springs CA #translivesmatter #lgbtq #bathroom #story #ftm #transman #transphobia
TikTokers who heard Dev's story were shocked and outraged.
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According to Dev's final video, the dispensary's owner has taken the clerk's side and has downplayed the incident.
According to several comments on TikTok, the business has even disabled comments and reviews on Instagram, Yelp, and Google.
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