“All I Did Was Exist”: Lesbian Teen Speaks Out After McDonald’s Hate Crime Assault Goes Viral

A 19-year-old woman who identifies as lesbian is speaking publicly after surviving a violent assault at a McDonald’s in her hometown earlier this month.

Visibly bruised and with a swollen eye, Kady Grass recounted how she had taken her 13-year-old cousin out for a post-concert meal when the incident unfolded. After using the women’s restroom, she was confronted by a group of strangers who allegedly hurled anti-gay slurs at her and demanded she “meet them outside.”

“They attacked me because I like women. All I did was exist that day,” Grass recounted in a TikTok video. 

“I went to spend time with my family, and then, I was brutally attacked. There was nothing I did to deserve that.”

A 19YO woman was brutally beaten after going to the restroom at a McDonald’s explicitly due to her orientation

Image credits: kadygrass19

The attack, which occurred on May 13, has reportedly led to hate crime charges against two suspects and ignited national discussion around anti-LGBTQ violence and the ever-growing sense of paranoia surrounding the access of transgender individuals to women’s bathrooms.

According to Grass, she acknowledged to the group that she was a lesbian and made a flicking gesture with her wrist—a moment she believes triggered the physical assault.

Image credits: CBS Chicago

Surveillance footage and eyewitness testimony confirm that multiple assailants, including two who were ultimately arrested, beat her until she lost consciousness.

“I went to the ground to protect my body more,” she recounted. “But at some point, I lost consciousness,” she added, noting how her injuries indicated that the attackers also stomped on her head repeatedly.

Grass sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured nose, a hemorrhage in one eye, and lingering psychological trauma. Injuries that she says will affect her “for the rest of [her] life.”

The men involved were arrested shortly after the incident, and now face battery and hate crime counts

Image credits: CBS Chicago

The alleged attackers, 19-year-old John Kammrad and a 16-year-old male whose name has not been released due to his age, were arrested shortly after the incident. Both now face three counts of aggravated battery, one count of mob action, and one count of hate crime.

Kammrad is scheduled to appear in Kane County court on June 27, 2025.

@kadygrass19♬ original sound – kadygrass19

According to Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, the allegations are considered to be extremely serious and will be “prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in public spaces, and no one should be attacked because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, as is alleged in this case.”

Grass uploaded a TikTok video recounting the experience two days after it occurred, offering viewers a raw look at her injuries.

But more than the physical harm she endured, Grass said it was the psychological trauma her 13-year-old cousin suffered that weighed on her the most.

Image credits: CBS 58

“It really upsets me, but now I feel like I planted this fear inside of her head that she can no longer stand up for herself, because something like this will always happen,” she shared.

“I don’t want to be a symbol of fear [for her].”

A GoFundMe campaign launched to support Grass with her medical and legal fees was a massive success, raising more than ten times its original goal

Image credits: ABC 7 Chicago

Grass has received an outpouring of support in the aftermath of the attack, with thousands sending her supporting messages. A fundraising campaign was created on May 16 to cover her medical and legal expenses.

The campaign has been an incredible success. Initially seeking to raise $5,000, the campaign ended up receiving more than $77,000 over more than 2,000 donations.

Image credits: Carpentersville Police Department

“As someone that grew up in that area and lived there for many years, this shocked me to read about. I felt I had to help you out due to this heinous act,” one donor wrote. “No one deserves to be treated that way because of who they are.”

“Acts of hate aren’t political. Hatred is not Red or Blue. It is black, like the hearts of those that commit it,” another added. 

“I only say this because there are many wanting to weave your story into their political ideological narrative. Taking your voice and story to serve their needs. Do not let them.”

“Words can’t begin to express my sadness at what you’re enduring. This attack on you is an attack on all of us and was perpetrated by cowards who don’t deserve to see the light of day for a long, long time.”

The attack comes amid a particularly tense cultural debate over trans access to women’s spaces

Image credits: kadygrass19

The incident involving Kady Grass is hardly an isolated issue. Bored Panda has provided extensive coverage about a series of altercations in women’s bathrooms, which seem to stem from what’s been described as “growing paranoia” about transgender individuals occupying biological women’s spaces.

For instance, former pro hockey player Madison Packer recounted on her podcast how she was forcibly removed from a women’s bathroom in Florida after being mistaken for a man.

Image credits: GoFundMe

Packer, who describes herself as a gender non-conforming, masculine-presenting lesbian, was allegedly called “sir” repeatedly by an attendant, who refused to let her in until she produced her driver’s license.

A similar case unfolded in Brazil, where a female personal trainer, Kely Moraes, was verbally assaulted and blocked from entering a gym bathroom by a couple who mistakenly believed she was transgender.

“Horrible.” Netizens took to social media to express their thoughts on the attack

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