A transgender woman was approached on busy Valencia street on Monday night by a man who threatened to kill her several times because she was transgender.

The victim received only minor injuries because she was able to use mace to fend off the attacker.

And to make a bad situation worse, an article describing the incident in the San Jose Mercury News refers several times to the victim as a man, when the victim identified as a woman.  It can’t be said enough journalists:  pronouns are incredibly important if you care at all about transgender sensitivity.  Seriously.

I walk Valencia Street nearly every day and it is frequented by many people in the LGBT community.  Transphobia exists everywhere – even in the queerest neighborhoods in the queerest city in the U.S.

UPDATE:  According to the Bay Area Reporter the attacker was arrested and has now been released.  He is apparently a transient (not surprising in this part of town), and the DA’s office says that the case has “been discharged for further investigation”.