Ríhanna Kelver is a transgender woman in Laramie, Wyoming, who is facing felony charges after defending herself during a confrontation she says turned violent and hateful. Last September, Kelver testified that a man outside a downtown bar yelled slurs at her and threatened to kill her before his group followed her into the street. When the man shoved her to the ground, she pulled a gun from her bag — then lowered it and stood back up once he walked away.

A judge has now ruled that Kelver cannot claim full immunity under Wyoming's stand your ground law, finding that "a reasonable person in like circumstance would not have judged her actions necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury," according to Albany County District Judge Misha Westby. That ruling means Kelver still has to fight felony aggravated assault and weapons charges at trial — with an even higher burden of proof than before.

Transgender people face violent victimization at drastically higher rates than the general population, according to a Williams Institute study cited by Kelver's attorney. When someone is threatened and then attacked in public, they shouldn't have to gamble their freedom to protect themselves. The Albany County District Attorney's Office has the discretion to drop these charges before this ever reaches a jury.

Sign this petition and call on the Albany County District Attorney's Office to drop the charges against Ríhanna Kelver — before a woman who defended herself against a threat on her life is punished for surviving it.