Trans Activists "epidemic" politicization of DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson's death
DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson, a 28-year-old, reportedly homeless, Black transgender individual, was shot and killed by a Ralphs store security guard.
According to the initial police report:
Officers responded to an Assault with a Deadly Weapon in progress at a grocery store near the 5400 block of Hollywood Boulevard. When officers arrived, they were summoned by a uniformed security guard who was performing first aid on a shooting victim. The security guard informed officers that he shot the individual as the result of an armed confrontation. The wounded individual had armed themselves with a screwdriver and attempted to assault him.
Additional reports also said DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson confronted the guard with a fire extinguisher prior to the screwdriver.
The security guard has not been detained or charged. Also, there is no reporting of whether or not DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson's race or gender was a factor in the incident.
Black Political Opinion: Trans Activists "epidemic" politicization of DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson's death
While it is true that trans people face challenges, it is also true that they are not immune from the consequences of their actions. In that regard, trans people are just like everyone else.
Activists often ignore the specifics of a death in order to politicize it and propel their cause. This is a dangerous and harmful practice, as it can lead to division, misinformation, and even violence.
The deceased, DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson who trans-identified, is now being politicized by LGBTQ advocates as anti-trans violence, “specifically Black trans women.”
The Human Rights Campaign is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States put out a press release that read in part :
In yet another shocking example of the epidemic of violence facing Black trans women, we join together to mourn DéVonnie, who was just 28 years old when her life ended. Again, we must ask - how did this happen? What could have been done differently?..It is clear that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color, especially Black transgender women like DéVonnie. The intersections of racism, transphobia, sexism, biphobia and homophobia conspire to deprive them of necessities to live and thrive,- Human Rights Campaign
Oklahoma Black Trans Woman DéVonnie J’Rae Johnson Fatally Shot in Los Angeles
When activists portray one group of people as victims and another group of people as villains, it can create a climate of hostility and mistrust. This can lead to violence and other forms of social unrest.
When activists ignore the facts of a case and focus on their own narrative, they can easily spread false information. This can lead people to have bad feelings, or make bad decisions, such as protesting or rioting without knowing the full story.
The Advocate, an American LGBT magazine headline read; Another transgender American has died by violence, at least the 16th this year.
Politicization of death is often used as a form of gaslighting. It involves using the death of a person or group of people to advance a political agenda, often by distorting or misrepresenting the facts. This can be done in a number of ways, such as:
Exaggerating the number of deaths or the severity of the circumstances surrounding them
Blaming a particular group or individual for the deaths, even if there is no evidence to support this claim
Using the deaths to justify certain policies or actions
Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Community in 2023
The human Rights Campaign Citing its own tracking on violence leading to fatalities of transgender individuals does not specify that their gender identity played any role in those deaths.