While we hopefully voted blue yesterday to ensure that gay rights and women’s rights remain in place, today let us not forget that transgender rights are also constantly under attack. We can’t have LGBT without the T, yall!
Nikita Dragun, social media influencer and star of the short-lived Netflix series Hype House, was arrested on Monday while staying at The Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach. Reports state that early in the evening, around 6:00PM, hotel staff was made aware that Dragun was causing disturbances around the premises. When confronted by security and law enforcement, Dragun became hostile, combative and sprayed her future arresting officers with water.
The owner of Dragun Beauty and a former People’s Choice Nominee was charged with battery of a police officer, disorderly conduct and misdemeanor battery. She was released early on Wednesday after posting a $2,000 bond. An official court date is pending.
Now, it goes without saying that insulting and accosting anyone, paired with nudity in public and noise disturbances, shouldn’t be swept under the rug and forgotten just because someone is a celebrity. However, it’s the decision made by law enforcement after Nikita’s arrest that I take issue with.
Dragun is a transgender woman. She identified as a woman, uses she/her pronouns and has had legal documents changed to reflect this. When the 26-year-old with millions of followers on Instagram, Snap Chat, TikTok and YouTube was brought to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, surely she anticipated being housed in the women’s quarters.
Wrong!
Nikita was kept in the men’s jail unit during her 48-hour incarceration.
The model’s attorney, Jack Ketsoyan, released a statement saying:
The situation with Nikita, who is legally female, being placed in a men’s unit of a Florida jail is extremely disturbing and dangerous. This decision made by the Miami-Dade County Corrections Department directly violates their protocol, which mandates that transgender inmates are classified and housed based on safety needs and gender identity.
I don’t know how this decision was made without any sort of historic or social insight. As far as I’m aware, Florida is a very gay friendly state. One would assume that the same hindsight would be used with transgender individuals as well.
The threat of violence and rape, as well as the psychological and emotional baggage this may have caused Nikita Dragun is irreprehensible. We should be better than this by now. Again, I’m not excusing her behavior, but two wrongs certainty don’t make a right!
Regardless, I hope Nikita gets the help she needs to overcome this bad behavior.
“As far as I’m aware, Florida is a very gay friendly state.” Not sure how you could say this… Just look at the record of the current governor, the presumptive Republican nominee for President in 2024 (unless DT manages a miraculous resurrection). And all the things Bryan mentions. Except for the gay parts of Miami, the place is pretty conservative.
“As far as I’m aware, Florida is a very gay friendly state.” Mike, why do you think this? I suggest you do research on the Don’t Say Gay Bill, violence against LGBTQN+ people in the state and the lack of statewide legal support for PLWHAIDS and queer people.