Right-wing groups in the US launch “transgender terrorism” initiative

In the United States, two right-wing organizations close to the Donald Trump administration — the Heritage Foundation and its subsidiary Oversight Project — have launched an online campaign calling on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to create a new domestic terrorism category.

The campaign introduces a construct called “Transgender Ideology-Inspired Violent Extremism” (TIVE), which it defines as “the belief that violence against those who do not subscribe to a radical transgender ideology is justified.”

The published memorandum even attempts to label as “terrorism” the scientifically proven argument that denying the existence of trans people increases the risks of suicide and psychological harm.

The campaign claims that “TIVE” has played a role in the majority of the numerous school shootings. This claim is completely at odds with statistical reality: in fact, a common feature of school shootings and many other mass shootings is that the majority of perpetrators are cisgender men. Framing trans initiatives as a potential terrorist risk in this way is likely to undermine fundamental constitutional rights in the United States — freedom of expression, freedom of association, equality before the law.

Powered by Froala Editor