Trans People Aren't the Enemy...

For years, extremists have built their careers on scapegoating minorities. They've spun lies to turn neighbors against each other and weave doubt into our communities. In recent tragedies, radical bigots have started to frame the trans community for America's escalated instances of gun violence.

But the facts tell us a different story:

• There is no evidence that trans people are more violent than any other group of people. Studies actually show that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are 9x more likely to be victims of violent crimes, not perpetrators.

• GLAAD tracks over 900 anti-LGBT incidents every year, over half specifically targeting trans folks. That means an anti-trans hate crime occurs almost every single day in America.

• The FBI has shown alarming mortality rates throughout the trans community, especially among black women. The murders of trans people have nearly doubled since Trump's first term.

• If we must analyze crime by demographic, official data shows that cis white males account for over 66% of America's mass shooting incidents.

So let's be clear: trans people aren’t the ones to blame. They make up less than 1% of our population. They aren't destabilizing our towns, or gutting healthcare, or bankrupting small businesses. They're not protecting a ring of pedophiles or praising sexual assault. And trans people definitely aren't shipping our tax dollars overseas to fund genocides.

Our White House has clearly lost its ability to reason with facts. Under Donald Trump’s direction, they’ve shoved identity politics ahead of problem-solving and used distraction to fool America. We must fervently combat this surge in anti-trans hate speech. And in doing so, we must drive home the message that trans people are not the enemy!