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Gretchen Diez, the transgender woman who was arrested after being barred from using a female restroom on Tuesday, has filed a complaint against the Araneta Center. The company owns Farmers Plaza, the Quezon City mall where the viral incident occurred.
Diez filed her complaint before the Quezon City Pride Council, the government body responsible for implementing the city’s Gender Fair Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination against all members of the LGBTQ+ community, reported Rappler.
Diez also wants to hold accountable the sanitation services agency that employs cleaning staffer Chayra Ganal, who barred her from using the women’s restroom, according to the Philippine Star. She also filed the complaint against Starline Security Agency, Farmers Plaza’s security agency.
Read: Trans woman arrested after being barred from women’s restroom in Quezon City
Diez, 28, was arrested by the Quezon City police after being barred by Ganal from using the women’s restroom inside the mall. Allegedly enraged after Diez recorded their altercation on video, Ganal then proceeded to drag her to another floor of the mall, where she was detained.
A video posted by Diez to her Facebook account on Tuesday showed her being rebuked by Ganal and an unidentified male security guard during her detention at the mall. In her complaint, Diez said the security agency and Araneta Center did nothing to stop the harassment she endured during her detention.
Diez was brought to the police precinct, where the janitor planned to file an “unjust vexation” case. Instead, Diez was subsequently freed after Ganal apologized to her.
In her complaint, Diez said: “I believe this [complaint] is necessary for us to assess and improve the implementation of the Quezon City Pride-Fair Ordinance, a piece of legislation that is one of a kind in this country.”
Read: Farmers Plaza apologizes to trans woman Gretchen Diez after mall cleaner had her arrested
The Gender Fair Ordinance prohibits the heckling and ridicule of members of the LGBTQ+ community in Quezon City. It also says businesses in the city cannot refuse their services and facilities based on a person’s gender expression.
Diez’s complaint comes after Farmers Plaza made a public apology in connection with the incident, in which they distanced themselves from Ganal’s actions.
