CW: Sexual violence, r*pe, state violence, incarceration, violence against sex workers, mention of knife violence, criminalizing self defense against r*pe
Like so many other women and people of marginalized genders who attempt to defend themselves against sexual violence, our dear friend Rachel “Ray” Ladner, a queer, disabled non-binary femme, is sitting in jail for fighting off a rapist. Florida, where it happened, is a so-called “stand your ground” state, but when Ray fought back, they were arrested with no questions asked. Police refused to even document bruises on Ray’s body from the attack, but they comforted and cared for the perpetrator, and mocked Ray.
Like so many others, their trial was a patriarchal joke: Ray’s lawyer wasn’t allowed to submit evidence that the “victim” had a long history of committing sexual assault, including pulling knives on workers at the strip clubs he frequented, even when the jury directly asked for more information about this. Ray’s politics and status as a low income, disabled, queer sex worker were undoubtedly also strikes against them, as was their history of organizing their workplaces and resisting the carceral state. Ray was convicted of attempted second degree murder with a deadly weapon. They were just defending themselves.
Ray is a survivor, an activist, a beloved friend, an organizer and an abolitionist, and they are our community – we are not free until they are free. And we will fight until we see them walk free, and until survival is no longer criminalized.
Free Ray 