TennesseeGenderMisinformationNashvilleSouth CarolinaU.S. NewsWeekend Reads How Rhetoric and Disinformation Affect Trans People After a Shooting by Michael Nguyen April 3, 2023 written by Michael Nguyen April 3, 2023 0 comments Bookmark 75 People were feeling scared after a shooting at a Nashville Christian school that killed six people, and they’re even more frightened because recently there have been many new laws passed restricting trans people’s rights. The police haven’t found any proof indicating Audrey Hale’s gender was the reason for the attack, which took three adults and three children away from The Covenant School. Some people have made wrong statements that low trans rights are making people do bad things after a recent shooting, which isn’t true. This is worrying advocates because many states across the country are punishing transgender people right now and these false statements are making things even worse for them. The Trans Empowerment Project, a Tennessee-based organization that works to support and fight for trans rights, has said that recently there have been more people speaking out with transphobic views, even on social media. They added that this has caused some members of their community to feel less comfortable sharing their stories in public. Some people in Congress, like Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have been asking if the shooter was taking hormones or medicine to treat their mental health problems. Donald Trump Jr., the son of America’s former president, suggested to the FBI and Justice Department that they look out for people with violent behaviors in the transgender community. In Idaho, a leader from the Republican Party was hoping their governor would sign a law that prevents young people from receiving medical treatment related to gender identity. At first, police thought the shooter was a female. But later during the day, they revealed that the suspect was actually transgender. This means that even though their body was born as female, this person identified themselves with masculine pronouns on social media. The police also mentioned that the suspect had an emotional disorder and wasn’t familiar to them before Monday when the shooting happened. Sadly, officers shot and killed the suspect at school. If you want to find a list of keyboard shortcuts, press the ‘shift + question mark’ buttons together. Imara Jones, who created the podcast called “The Anti-Trans Hate Machine” which talks about people spreading false information about trans individuals, is not shocked about all these lies being told about a certain shooting incident. In that incident – where 19 kids and two teachers were shot in Uvalde, Texas – Imara mentioned how quickly the wrong news went around saying it was a transgender woman who did the shooting. “Disinformation is making things worse for trans people,” said Jones. “It’s causing us to be isolated, looked down on, and unfairly judged which leads to more violence towards us, both from the government and other people.” Many laws that take away the rights of transgender people have been suggested in statehouses this year. These laws involve stopping trans people from using certain bathrooms and preventing them from getting treatments from doctors that help them feel good about their gender identity. Furthermore, lawmakers are saying mean things about transgender people when thinking about these new rules. Tennessee’s Governor, a Republican, has made it against the law to do drag shows or help minors change their genders. Fortunately a federal judge said it couldn’t be done for now. The people who want these rules are Republicans and they say they’re trying to protect children. Lots of transgender people report that they are often the victims of verbal and physical abuse. A survey conducted late last year showed that 64% have been yelled at, simply because of who they are, and 25% say they were even hit or beaten. The National Center for Transgender Equality said that there are some people who don’t understand trans people and think of them as “other”. Because of this, trans people have faced very dangerous threats and violence. Jessica Disney is one such example of a trans person from Arkansas who has gone to the Capitol multiple times to fight against anti-transgender laws. Disney said it is really scary living in the South and in Arkansas, especially when people are being encouraged to act violently. Advocates also want us to talk about how to stop mass shootings and not focus on the gender of the shooter. Some politicians and opinion makers are talking about who the shooter is and trying to scare people about transgender people instead of helping solve the major problem in America which has to do with guns. Jay Brown, a leader at a group that works for human rights, said that there is no real effort or plan from them to fix this problem. Although there is fear all around, the Trans Empowerment Project noticed that everybody wanted to take action against gun violence and create good relationships with people in the community. The group was very surprised by how strong everyone is even in this tough time. Sami Morris, who is neither a man or a woman, lives in Durham, North Carolina. They recently felt more unwelcome than usual in the South because lots of people were blaming trans people for the shooting that happened in Tennessee. They also criticized North Carolina Republicans for voting to make it easier to get guns just two days after the Nashville shooting happened. Morris said that people are talking a lot more about anti-trans issues instead of focusing on how to deal with the victims and coming up with solutions like gun control that could make schools safer. This was visible as Dylan Michael Turner, 27, protested outside the South Carolina State House for Transgender Day of Visibility. Turner, a transgender man from Columbia, was holding up a sign that said “TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS” when someone in a car passing by shouted “Terrorist attack!” at him. Turner said he heard six or seven comments like this but he got lots of positive messages too. He wished that people who don’t identify as transgender would get to know somebody who does and understand why it’s important to have equal rights for all. Two journalists from the Associated Press, Hannah Schoenbaum from Raleigh, North Carolina and James Pollard from Columbia, South Carolina wrote this news report together. 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He has a particular interest in football and basketball, and he enjoys analyzing game strategies and player performance. previous post How States are Working to Improve School Safety After the Tragedy in Tennessee next post Finland Prime Minister Ousted as Conservatives Secure Tight Vote You may also like Bookmark A woman who burned Wyoming’s only full-service abortion... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Argument over Christmas gifts turns deadly as 14-year-old... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Pro-Palestinian protesters block airport access roads in New... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Nikki Haley, asked what caused the Civil War,... December 28, 2023 Bookmark The Future of Sports Betting Expansion Appears Uncertain... December 27, 2023 Bookmark Photographer Cecil Williams’ vision gives South Carolina its... December 27, 2023 Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ