Promoters behind this Saturday's "Trans Day of Vengeance" rally at the Supreme Court in Washington DC have canceled the event "due to a credible threat to life and safety."
"The safety of our trans community is the first priority. This threat is the direct result of the flood of raw hatred directed toward the trans community after the Tennessee shooting," Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN), a network of Trans activist groups, said in a statement.
"Individuals who had nothing to do with that heinous act have been subjected to highly serious threats and blamed only because of their gender identity," TRAN added. "This is one of the steps in genocide, and we will continue our efforts to protect trans lives."
According to the New York Post, the group planned the event weeks before the massacre at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday by a transgender person. TRAN, however, denies "any connection" between their rally and the mass shooting, Newsweek reports.
The organization had sought to host the rally to protest against states that have passed bills banning gender transition surgeries and puberty blockers.
As reported by the Post, Twitter removed thousands of tweets that promoted the "Trans Day of Vengeance" because "Vengeance' does not imply peaceful protest."
TRAN responded by insisting that the event's name is based on a meme used by the trans community for years and is not intended to promote violence.
The group also plans to host another rally in the future "with a better theme."
According to CBN News, the press secretary for Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), Josselyn Berry, resigned on Wednesday after she posted an image seemingly promoting gun violence against "transphobes."
"Us when we see transphobes," Berry captioned an image of actress Gena Rowlands in the 1980 movie "Gloria" holding up two revolver handguns.
Twitter removed the post for violating the platform's policies against violence.
"The Governor does not condone violence in any form. This administration holds mutual respect at the forefront of how we engage with one another. The post by the Press Secretary is not reflective of the values of the administration. The Governor has received and accepted the resignation of the Press Secretary," Hobbs' office said Wednesday in a statement.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Vladimir Vladimirov
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
