Minnesota Shooter Puts Spotlight on Trans Rights

Thank you to Sophia Zoe Kilmer, civil rights activist and attorney, for joining me to discuss the horrific shooting that took place yesterday in Minnesota. Here’s what we touched on:

Details of the shooter and what this means for the trans community: FBI Director Kash Patel as male. Legal documents requesting a name change for Westman say she identified as female. The right wing media is purposefully misgendering this person. Why is this a problem for the collective as a whole and why is this a deflection from the real issue at hand — there are too many damn guns in the hands of people who should not have access to them. 

Should children who survived a mass shooting event be interviewed? Is this a sign of our further desensitization to mass violence? We share our thoughts. What do you think?

Details of the shooting: Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 18 other victims were injured when a shooter opened fire during a morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Though the shooter had some disturbing posts on social media, there is no evidence to suggest that the shooter was legally barred from purchasing a firearm, O'Hara told reporters. The shooter has been identified as Robin Westman, 23, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Three firearms have been recovered, and police said the shooter acted alone. (ABC News)