CNN’s Nia-Malika Henderson and the Democrats on stage for Thursday’s LGBTQ town hall were put on notice by the audience — misgendering or altering a transgender person’s name is tantamount to “violence.”
Singer Shea Diamond scolded the reporter and warned the nine presidential hopefuls on a Los Angeles stage that mispronouncing names can have devastating effects.
“I want to bring in Shea Diamond. A singer songwriter from L.A. She currently supports Mayor Pete Buttigieg. What’s your question?” Ms. Henderson said before being corrected.
“Uh, it’s ‘Shia’ Diamond,” the singer responded. “Put that on the record. Yes honey, it’s violence to misgender or to alter a name of a trans person so let’s always get that right first.”
Julian Castro, the former Housing and Urban Development secretary, went on to affirm that his administration would have transgender advisers.
Sen. Cory A. Booker also weighed in on violence against the LGBT community at another point.
The New Jersey Democrat warned that America faced a “national emergency” on the issue, which may require an “Office on Hate Crimes and White Supremacy.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.