“Which gender should I write? [i rapporten] It is not possible to see what gender they are”. That’s what a security guard on the Stockholm subway is said to have said to two women in connection with an arrest. The Stockholm Region is now being investigated for possible discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, according to news agency Siren. One night in February, three women in their 30s were to take the subway home from the T-centralen in Stockholm. When they were about to board the train, they were reportedly stopped by two male security guards, who claimed that the women did not have valid tickets. The women protested and were happy to show their monthly passes, but the “aggressive and threatening” guards did not want to see the tickets. Instead, the women were turned away from the platform, whereupon they left to take the subway from another platform. There they were again met by the same guards, along with two more, who allegedly violently pushed the women up against a wall, kicked their legs apart and handcuffed their hands. 45 minutes of harassment The four guards then allegedly took two of the women into a small room where they were made to sit on the floor with their hands locked behind their backs while the men appeared to write a report and call the police. During 45 minutes, the women must have been subjected to verbal harassment, according to a report to DO. The guards are said to have said things like: “We’ll put them in their place, these stupid feminists” “Which gender should I write? [i rapporten] It’s not possible to see what gender they are” “What are you voting for? Surely the Left Party or the Green Party, no real party anyway”. Reported to DO Eventually two police officers appeared and freed the women. They are said to have explained that they are not being detained, took off their handcuffs and then drove the women home. The Stockholm Region is now being investigated by the Discrimination Ombudsman for possible discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation TV4 Nyheterna has contacted Region Stockholm, which could not comment on the incident outside office hours.
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