Luca Strobel, a 25-year-old trans man from South Carolina, went viral on TikTok after sharing how he was harassed, called slurs, and detained by police for using the women’s restroom at a Folly Beach bar.
Incident at Sand Dollar Social Club
On the night of May 16, Strobel went to Sand Dollar Social Club to pick up his friend Caroline Frady. When he needed to use the restroom, he tried the men’s room but found it inaccessible since it only had urinals and no stalls. Strobel then used the women’s restroom, where he believed he had permission after a brief conversation with an employee.
While in the women’s restroom, the bar owner reportedly burst in and peered over the stall, seeing Strobel partially undressed. The owner and staff then loudly accused him of being “a man” in the women’s room, causing a scene.
Ejection and Police Detainment
Strobel and Frady were forcibly removed from the bar amid slurs targeting Strobel’s gender identity. Police were waiting outside and detained Strobel, handcuffing him so tightly that he lost feeling in his fingers. Officers reportedly called him a “little girl” and refused to answer questions at the station, telling him to “take it up in court.”
Though neither Strobel nor Frady were formally booked, they were issued trespassing notices and tickets for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Strobel stresses he did not drink that night and was only there to be the designated sober driver.
Legal and Social Context
South Carolina currently has no law preventing a trans man from using women’s restrooms in public places like bars. However, the state has passed anti-trans legislation targeting schools and is considered a “high risk” state for transgender people, according to legal advocacy groups.
Strobel’s experience highlights the ongoing harassment faced by transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, especially in states with rising anti-trans bills. Similar incidents have occurred nationwide, including arrests and police questioning of trans and queer people simply for using public restrooms consistent with their gender identity.
Strobel’s Response and Future Plans
Despite the incident, Strobel refuses to hide his trans identity, proudly showing his top surgery scars and emphasizing the importance of visibility in the South.
“Of course my safety is important to me, but I want people to know that we exist,” he told Erin in the Morning. “It’s okay to be who you are.”
However, Strobel is now raising funds to relocate to a safer place where he can live authentically without fear of violence or discrimination.
