After Ben arson referred to trans women as “big, hairy men” during an HUD meeting, he has received backlash from prominent figures such as former HUD secretary Julián Castro and Senator Elizabeth Warren, saying that his comments are contradictory to Ben Carson’s role, according to USA Today.
Castro tweeted about the comments, saying that almost twenty trans people have been killed this year and comments like Carson’s only further exacerbates the animus that many have towards trans people.
19 Black trans women have been killed this year because comments like Ben Carson’s normalize violence against them.
As HUD Secretary, I protected trans people, I didn’t denigrate them.https://t.co/yibDnZAypj
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) September 20, 2019
Now it’s hardly surprising that Ben Carson said such a thing considering his rocky past in regards to LGBT rights. In the past, he has said that being gay is a choice (citing a horrific… prison act… as proof) and that he believes that the existence of transgender people is the “height of absurdity” because apparently people don’t know the difference between men and women anymore.
The president of the Human Rights Campaign, Alphonso David, shares my thoughts on this matter, saying that it’s hardly surprising that Carson would dehumanize trans people because he proposed something that would literally prevent transgender people from seeking help in homeless shelters.
From his comments on trans service members to his support for a proposal that would literally permit emergency shelters to turn away trans people who are homeless, hardly surprising that @SecretaryCarson would blatantly dehumanize trans people in his official capacity.
— Alphonso David (@AlphonsoDavid) September 20, 2019
Senator Kamala Harris called his comments harmful to LGB T people and downright cruel, and Cory Booker’s press secretary said that they were “vile and disgusting.” Governor Newsom of California said that they were “sick” and that this behavior can’t become normalized.
Elizabeth Warren said it best in my opinion, as she tweeted “If Secretary Carson is not willing to do his job and protect all Americans experiencing housing insecurity then he shouldn’t have his job” and that trans women already are far more likely to be victims of violence.
Trans women who experience homelessness are already disproportionately more likely to face violence. If Secretary Carson is not willing to do his job and protect all Americans experiencing housing insecurity then he shouldn’t have his job.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 21, 2019
What do you think? Is it right that such high profile people are slamming Ben Carson for his comments on transgender women? This is definitely not the first time that Carson has been insensitive towards LGBT people and LGBT rights. Do you think that these criticisms finally be the thing that takes him down a notch or will he continue to be who he is?
Source: USA Today