I am heartbroken and infuriated that @MikeBloomberg felt it appropriate to refer to trans people as "it" and trans women as "men in dresses". His remarks are cruel, inexcusable and enable violence and discrimination against trans + non-binary folks. (1/6)
buzzfeednews.com/article/domini…
buzzfeednews.com/article/domini…
This comes two weeks after @MikeBloomberg was found to have made similar remarks in 2016. These latest comments were less than a year ago. It is disturbing that a leading Democratic presidential candidate would casually dehumanize trans people and degrade our existence.
We also know trans rights are supported by the vast majority of the American people, from support for non-discrimination protections to widespread condemnation of Trump's trans military ban. It is deeply cynical, out-of-touch, and condescending for Bloomberg to suggest otherwise.
Last year, at least 26 trans and non-binary people were murdered in the United States, the vast majority of them Black women. In 29 states, trans people lack basic non-discrimination protections in employment, housing, credit, public accommodations, and several other areas.
We live under an administration that has blatantly banned trans people from serving in the military and argued before the Supreme Court against the civil rights of trans people. Trump and Pence have used slanderous and degrading language in pursuing policies to marginalize us.
If @MikeBloomberg is truly an ally of trans and non-binary people as he claims to be, he will apologize for these remarks and condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of such inflammatory and dehumanizing language. Anything short of that is unacceptable and disqualifying.
