The White House on Thursday condemned Republicans for pressing ahead with laws restricting transgender people from using certain restrooms and banning access to gender-affirming treatment, saying the trans community was ‘under attack.’
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made the comments after the Kentucky GOP overturned the governor’s veto.
But her words of solidarity were quickly seized on by extreme conservatives, who are trying to tar the entire transgender community with the actions of a trans shooter, who murdered six people at a Tennessee school this week.
‘Honestly f*** off, I’ve seen exactly ZERO sympathy for the Christian children shot up by the trans sociopath this weekend from the Biden Admin,’ tweeted Donald Trump‘s son Don Jr.
‘Instead, I’ve seen a lot of victim blaming and empathy for the sociopathy coming from a growing militant part of this community.’
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday said the transgender community was ‘under attack,’ triggering outrage among extremist conservatives in the week when a trans shooter shot dead three children and three members of staff in Tennessee
Her comments ignited a backlash days after Audrey Hale, a transgender man who was born female, shot dead six people at the private Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee
It comes after six people were shot dead at a Nashville school by Audrey Hale, 28, who identified as transgender.
The result has been an outpouring of prejudice from Republicans, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who suggested guns were not to blame for the shooting.
‘How much hormones like testosterone and medications for mental illness was the transgender Nashville school shooter taking,’ she tweeted.
In fact, mass shootings carried out by people identifying as transgender are rare. They are far more likely to be the victims of attack.
But Republicans see the issue as a winner in the nation’s culture wars. State lawmakers are targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ people, with bills targeting everything from drag acts and trans athletes to gender-affirming treatments.
Against that backdrop, Jean-Pierre was asked during her daily briefing about the veto override in Kentucky.
‘We want to talk about actually making Americans lives better. They want to take away people’s freedoms,’ she said about Republicans.
‘One of the things that we saw during the midterm elections is that people don’t want their freedom to be taken.
‘They want us to fight for their freedoms. And so it is shameful, it is disturbing.
‘And our hearts go out to those of the trans community as they are under attack right now.’
Don Jr has slammed Jean-Pierre’s comments in his ‘Triggered with Donald Trump Jr’ show and used Twitter to say he’d seen no sympathy for the Christian children killed at the school
That sparked accusations that she had forgotten the victims in Tuesday’s shooting.
‘Pretty sure the slaughtered Christian kids are the ones under attack,’ said Rogan O’Handley, a conservative commentator on Twitter.
Greg Price, of the State Freedom Caucus Network: ‘Trans person kills three children at a Christian school and the White House Press Secretary says it’s actually the trans people who are under attack right now.’
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was another influencer who used social media to ridicule the White House.
Thursday was also ‘transgender visibility day,’ designed to highlight the contribution of trans people.
‘America is founded on the idea that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives,’ said President Joe Biden in a proclamation.
‘We have never fully lived up to that, but we have never walked away from it either. Today, as we celebrate transgender people, we also celebrate every American’s fundamental right to be themselves, bringing us closer to realizing America’s full promise.’
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a message.
‘At the same time, we underscore the work that remains to ensure that all transgender, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming persons are able to live authentically, safely, and with dignity. This work includes ensuring that all persons are able to secure identity documents that fully reflect who they are. Transgender persons deserve to live free from violence, discrimination, and stigma.
