A Brazilian professional transgender skateboarder named Luiza Marchiori, who used to compete as Luiz Neto, is in the middle of a controversial and serious case.
According to reports, at least three women have accused Marchiori of emotional and physical abuse.
They want the Brazilian Skateboarding Confederation to kick the transgender woman out of the sport. Marchiori, who transitioned in 2023, claims to be a victim of transphobia.
Following her competition in the women's category, allegations of abuse began to surface. On June 17, skateboarder Garcia Rodrigues released a video supporting the victims and presenting evidence against Marchiori. In the video, Rodrigues played an audio recording of one of the victims confronting Marchiori about the abuse.
Rodrigues posted, "luizamarchiori is coming 00hrs and your carriage will turn into a pumpkin 🎃
Whether you never respected the opinion of women or showed regret for something you did, you wanted to gain imposing space and always threatening each of them. Time is king 👑 and by itself it knocks down those who don't really walk
Kisses 😘
I hope that the entities representing female skateboarding and Brazilian skateboarding will fully support the victims and that justice will be done!!!"
Rodrigues' video garnered attention, and the comments section became a platform for alleged victims to share their experiences. Gabbri Beiro, one of Marchiori’s ex-girlfriends, described physical and psychological abuse, including extreme jealousy and control over her personal life. Beiro and other victims are gathering evidence and have reported the incidents to the police.
Marchiori’s lawyer released a statement on Instagram, claiming that Marchiori is a victim of transphobia and denying the allegations. The statement warned of legal action against those accusing Marchiori of abuse.
The victims got their own lawyers, and a press release mentioned that some of them were underage when the abuse happened. It stressed that the victims deserve justice and called for accountability.
The investigation into the allegations against Marchiori is ongoing.
According to Transgender Law Center, transgender hate crimes are criminal acts driven by prejudice or hatred towards people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.
These crimes can involve physical attacks, verbal abuse, discrimination, property damage, or any other type of violence or mistreatment specifically aimed at the LGBTQIA+ individuals because of their gender identity or expression.
These acts are serious human rights violations and are often prosecuted as hate crimes where applicable.