Project Rainbow Utah Condemns Violence, Cautions Against Demonizing Transgender Community

SALT LAKE CITY – Project Rainbow Utah issued the following statement Sunday in response to media inquiries following reports that the man who shot and killed Charlie Kirk is in a relationship with a transgender person. 

“Project Rainbow Utah’s purpose is to spread love and raise funds. The flags we stake across Utah during our campaigns show LGBTQ+ Utahns they aren’t alone, and the funds we raise from those flags sponsor events like pride festivals, youth art nights, workshops, and more. 

We strive to build community, and violence is antithetical to this mission. Murder should never be an act of allyship. 

Our nation has been marinating in a climate of violence for many years, and in recent decades, we’ve become increasingly steeped in gun violence. Unfortunately, many bad-faith actors are intent on demonizing the transgender community to make them scapegoats. According to the Williams Institute at UCLA, transgender people are more than four times more likely to be the victim of a violent crime compared to their cisgender peers. 

Political violence exists in many forms and often targets marginalized communities. Our focus should be on condemning political violence of all stripes and helping communities heal. 

We urge everyone to slow down and allow this investigation to unfold, and to find in that slowness a moment of pause to reflect on why so much of this vitriol is levied at a population that is far more likely to be a victim than a perpetrator.

We will continue to focus on love, support, and creating safe spaces. We encourage everyone to join us in this work and commit to reducing suffering in our communities.”

Signed, 

Jacey Thornton, Project Rainbow Utah Executive Director. 

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