At a protest last week a transgender woman named Nikki Stone was grabbed by a group of men and thrown into an unmarked van. The men turned out to be NYPD officers who were arresting Stone for vandalism. Her mother later told CBS News that officers punched her in the face and told her to “act like an effing human being and not some animal.”

And in June, a transgender man named Jamal Young sued the NYPD after they arrested him in a traffic stop. In the suit, he says he was groped, misgendered, and humiliated.

Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, told WNYC's Rebeca Ibarra that these incidents aren't unique. He said the NYPD has allegedly harassed trans people, referred to them by the incorrect gender, and put them in holding cells with people of the opposite gender. 

David said those interactions have long-lasting negative effects. "Transgender people face so many obstacles," he said. "When they then face additional obstacles with engaging with law enforcement, they lose faith in our democracy, they lose faith in law enforcement and they have more challenges in interfacing with members of our community." 

In a statement, the NYPD said it "recognizes and supports the rights and dignity of transgender and gender non-conforming persons. The Department has carefully and thoughtfully designed and implemented effective policies, training protocols, outreach initiatives, and disciplinary processes. We endeavor to treat all individuals with the utmost respect."

Click Listen for David's interview with All Things Considered on WNYC.