Transgender: Fear-based rhetoric fuels violence

Re: “Protect women, girls and rewrite dangerous rule” (Your Voice, 2-22).

The author makes the case for “respectful dialogue.” However, there is nothing respectful about implying that transgender adults and children are inherently suspicious or dangerous.

Want to discuss danger and violence? More than 20 transgender Americans were murdered last year because of their gender identity. Many more have been beaten, bullied, fired from their jobs, disowned by their families or driven to suicide.

Divisive, inaccurate and fear-based rhetoric only fuels the fires of this violence. We’re better than that as a community.

(Ibsen is a member of the Tacoma City Council.)

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Transgender: Fear-based rhetoric fuels violence."