An Baltimore LGBT group called Equality Maryland confirmed the victim of the Baltimore McDonalds’ beating is a transgender woman. Lisa Polyak, vice president of the board of directors for Equality Maryland commented on the video. “It does appear that the victim was a transgender woman, and she was brutalized while people stood by and watched,” “There’s no excuse for that violence under any circumstances, but we would encourage police to investigate as a hate crime.” Equality Maryland called on state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler to investigate the case as a hate crime.