Vivian Wilson, Elon Musk’s estranged trans daughter, responded to a right-wing conspiracy that trans people are inherently violent.
Wilson, a model and internet celebrity, has been extremely vocal about using her platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and directly challenge her father’s extremist, conservative ideals. According to Pink News, at the Teen Vogue summit, Wilson discussed and argued against the conspiracy theory that a significant amount of mass shooters are trans.
In referencing the far-right, she claims, “There’s this widespread misinformation and demonization where, especially right now, they’re painting us all as violent mass shooters. I’m not going to shoot anyone, I’m a model. I don’t even know how to hold a gun.”
This conspiracy theory has been peddled by conservatives for years on the internet. Whenever a mass shooting occurs, the far-right immediately claim that the shooter is trans—when there is no evidence to support it. Right-wing “activist” and insistent racist, homophobe, and transphobe Charlie Kirk was speaking about “trans shooters” moments before his death. Kirk’s shooter supposedly had a transgender roommate, which led to many conservatives trying to blame his death on the trans community, despite the roommate not having any involvement—falling in line with the constant right-wing scapegoating of trans people.
Wilson continued at the summit, discussing the anti-trans, anti-gender-affirming care laws being passed in the Trump administration, claiming that being able to transition when she was 16, “basically saved (her) life.” This is not an uncommon statement from trans people; socially and medically transitioning can completely change their outlook on life. Mental health is a huge problem in the trans community, with 40% of trans adults reporting being in psychological distress.
According to GLAAD, less than 2% of America’s adult population is transgender. And the a vast majority of mass shooters are cis white men. Yet republicans continue to blame them for a problem they have no part in. Maybe they should be focusing on young cis white men if they really want to prevent mass shootings.
Photo Courtesy of social media
