Once again…

Once again, America is reeling from a mass shooting. In this case, the perpetrator happened to be transgender. Predictably, some voices will seize on that fact to push their own political agenda, suggesting that gender identity itself is to blame. That argument is both dishonest and dangerous.

Violence knows no boundaries. It cuts across gender expression, race, religion, age, and sexual orientation. The common denominator is not identity—it’s the easy access to guns. No matter who pulls the trigger, the weapon itself is what turns anger, grievance, or despair into mass death in an instant.

Politicians across the country are increasingly focused on restricting how people live, love, and identify. We see wave after wave of legislation aimed at erasing transgender expression, often with cruel and humiliating intent. Yet these same lawmakers fall silent—or worse, complicit—when it comes to the epidemic of gun violence that actually claims lives every day.

Statistically, transgender people are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of gun violence is committed by cisgender men—yet you don’t see the transgender community blaming masculinity for mass shootings. Why? Because that would be absurd.

If politicians were truly concerned about protecting children, families, and communities, they would direct the same energy they devote to regulating personal identity toward passing common-sense gun laws. Instead, they turn away, offering “thoughts and prayers” while the shootings continue.

Blaming marginalized people is a convenient distraction. It is far easier to point fingers at a vulnerable community than to confront the political might of the gun lobby. But until we face the real issue—the guns themselves—mass shootings will not stop.

This isn’t about who the shooter was. It’s about what they carried. And until our leaders show the courage to act, we’ll remain trapped in this deadly cycle, watching the same tragedy unfold again and again.