Focusing on Transgender Identity of Nashville Shooter Called ‘Uniquely Dangerous’
Commentator suggests trans Americans arm themselves as anti-trans bias booms following Nashville school shooting
Bias and hate against transgender Americans exploded Tuesday, after the alleged perpetrator of a school shooting in Nashville, Tenn, was identified as transgender.
The shooting left dead six victims: three children and three adult staff members at the private Christian elementary school where the incident occurred.
Little is so far known publicly about the motives of the shooter, whom police identified as a transgender former student of The Covenant School who resented having to attend the facility.
However, anti-trans bias soared Tuesday, largely among political figures on the right and on social media.
Anti-trans hate in the United States — including the ever-widening number of laws being passed to limit transgender rights — has reached such a level that one commentator on the left suggested that transgender Americans arm themselves for protection.
Statistics indicate that just four shooters out of more than 300 mass shooters since 2009 are transgender or non binary. That's just 1.3 percent of all shooters, according to a new report by Newsweek.
The vast majority of these shooters are cisgender men.
That didn't stop an eruption of hate and discrimination aimed at the US trans community.
That included from hard-right Fox News host Tucker Carlson on his Tuesday evening program, in which he told viewers Christianity and “transgender ideology” are “wholly incompatible” and are “natural enemies.”
Far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, went to social media to blame the testosterone therapy some transgender people receive for the shootings.
“How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking? Everyone can stop blaming guns now,” the Georgia Republican posted.
Others, in the media and politics, leapt to defend transgender Americans.
MSNBC host Ali Velshi, in particular, called out Greene for her tweet.
“Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene took this a step further this afternoon by trying to blame hormone therapy. We have no idea if the shooter was undergoing hormone therapy,” Velshi said. “But in the words of the congresswoman, quote, ‘Everyone can stop blaming guns now,’ which is really code for focusing on the shooter’s identity, something conservatives don't seem overly concerned about when the shooter is a white man, which is often.
“Trans people are already more likely to experience violence simply because they are trans people, so the right focusing on that is uniquely dangerous and we have to respond to that,” Velshi added. “But it is also a distraction because there are plenty of trans people in plenty of countries all over the world, but, once again, America is the only nation where shootings like this happen over and over again.”
Comedian John Leguizamo, guest-hosting Comedy Central's Daily Show, used a bit of reverse psychology to take a back-handed swipe at Greene and make a point for gun control.
“Here’s the thing, Marjorie: I agree with you. I don’t think trans people should be allowed to own assault rifles either. So let’s stop them! But just to be safe, we should also ban non-trans people from owning assault rifles, okay?” he suggested, to cheers and applause from the studio audience. “Just in case they become trans. Okay? You know what I mean? No assault weapons for anybody, that’ll show them! And some people might try to tell you that I’m tricking you into supporting gun control, but we all know you are too smart for that!”
Cenk Uygur, creator and co-host of the TYT progressive news and opinion network, went so far as to suggest trans Americans arm themselves for defense.
“I’ll be a little bit of a hypocrite here, but it’s not. I’ll explain why I’m saying it. I don’t like guns. I would ban assault weapons in a second. We can go on and on about the gun control that we need in this country. And I always tell people, ‘Don’t get guns, it’ll make you less safe.’ I’m going to make an exception here for trans people,” said Uygur, a cisgender man. “They are actually in danger. They have had hundreds of laws passed against them. They have right-wing media ginning up fear against them 24/7.
“They are targeted more than any other group in America. And if anyone should get guns, it should be trans Americans, okay. Because I’m worried for them. I’m worried that the right-wing lunatics are going to attack them as they have over and over again,” he added. “And by the way, it’s not just right-wing lunatics. Other people attack trans folks as well.”
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