Despite three nine-year-olds being gunned down by a transgender shooter at a private Christian school in Nashville, activists are still rallying the troops to protest for a ‘Trans Day of Vengeance’ just days after the mass shooting shocked the nation.
Transgender shooter Audrey Hale opened fire on the Covenant School in Nashville at 10.30am on Monday, killing Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney and Evelyn Dieckhaus during her rampage at the school.
But despite rising political tensions across the country, which saw a press secretary for Arizona Democrat Governor post a Tweet about shooting transphobes, the Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN) is pushing forward with their protest on Saturday in DC.
The protest was initially meant to be called a ‘day of visibility’ but rebranded before the shooting to vengeance because it means ‘fighting back with vehemence’ – though the group was quick to say they do not ‘encourage or promote violence’ when contacted by DailyMail.com.
But one activist appears to have taken the movement to the next level, posing with an assault rifle and threatening to ‘kill christcucks’ – as Twitter removed thousands of posts with flyers for the event.
One activist using the hashtag on a since suspended account posed with an assault rifle and is threatening to ‘kill christcucks’ – as Twitter removed thousands of posts with flyers for the event
Twitter has been removing the posts that could be deemed threatening or involve guns associated with the ‘TransDayofVengeance’ hashtag – but it is unclear exactly how many were others posing with weapons as they have since been deleted.
Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety, wrote that the company removed more than 5,000 tweets that included a poster for the event.
She said: ‘We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them.
‘Vengeance’ does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok.’
Two other trans activists have since posted footage and photos of themselves with rifles, which appear to be in direct response to the Nashville shooting.
One says that she will use the weapon for ‘protection’ against ‘transphobes’ who target them.
Kayla Denker, who describes themselves as a ‘communist, archaeologist and writer, posted the video of herself with her gun after the incident in Nashville – despite saying ‘advocating for trans people to arm ourselves is not any kind of a solution to the genocide we are facing’.
She is also appealing for help with the medical bills for her transition on her social media, which has now been locked down.
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green also saw her account removed after she launched several anti-trans attacks on Twitter.
Greene claimed that ‘Antifa’ was organizing the alleged event, and reposted a poster for the protest while complaining Twitter kept removing her posts before she was ultimately suspended.
Two other trans activists have since posted footage and photos of themselves with rifles, which appear to be in direct response to the Nashville shooting
Twitter has been removing the posts that could be deemed threatening or involve guns associated with the ‘TransDayofVengeance’ hashtag – but it is unclear exactly how many were others posing with weapons as they have since been deleted
The group, created by Noah Buchanan (left) Tsukuru Fors (right) and Bo Belotti (centre) were quick to say they do not ‘encourage or promote violence’ when contacted by DailyMail.com
Audrey Hale’s LinkedIn profile suggested they were now living as a man, and going by the name Aiden when she shot and killed six people at a Christian private school in Nashville
Activists are being encouraged to ‘bring a buddy’ and wear a mask at the event outside of the Supreme Court in DC on April 1, and is billed as avenging a ‘trans genocide.’
Organizers did not respond when asked questions about the safety of protests amid the increasing pressure between the two sides of the political spectrum.
Websites such as Etsy are still being used to sell pro-gun and trans merchandise, with stickers that say ‘defend equality’ with assault rifles on as well as t-shirts and other items emblazoned with ‘Trans rights… or else’ which also have the high-powered guns in pink, white and blue – the Trans colors – on them.
TRAN is run by three co-founders, one of whom is a former staffer for the Virginia Democrats and stepped down to work with the group.
Bo Belotti, the national recruitment director, is a ‘trans masculine non-binary person’ and helped the Virginia chapter of the group to raise money to go on guns and self-defence.
On March 7, the Virginia chapter held a ‘dance party fundraiser’ in Richmond ‘benefiting firearm/self-defense training for trans-Virginians. Come boogie with us and defend trans life!’
Belotti worked as a fellow for Del. Elizabeth Guzman, and Del. Joshua Cole as a legislative aide and helped draft HB 145, which required the state to create model transgender policies for public schools.
Bo Belotti, the national recruitment director, is a ‘trans masculine non-binary person’ and helped the Virginia chapter of the group to raise money to go on guns and self-defence
Non-binary Tsukuru (left) who had been posting updates on the protest before locking down their account following the backlash in the aftermath of the mass shooting. Noah Buchanan (right) told DailyMail.com that the group did not promote or encourage violence of any kind
Websites such as Etsy are still being used to sell pro-gun and trans merchandise, with stickers that say ‘defend equality’ with assault rifles on as well as t-shirts and other items emblazoned with ‘Trans rights… or else’
His bio on the website adds: ‘While working in their state’s legislators they helped craft trans-affirming statewide policies.’
Another co-founder is non-binary Tsukuru, who had been posting updates on the protest before locking down their account following the backlash in the aftermath of the mass shooting.
Their bio states that they were a ‘graduate of a high school in Hiroshima where 350 young lives were brutally taken on August 6, 1945, Tsukuru is an anti-nuclear/anti-war/human rights activist.’
It adds: ‘After his brief marriage to his best friend and the birth of his child, he first came out as lesbian at age 29 and as a transgender man at age 50.’
The final founder is Noah Buchanan who helped to set up Tran initially, writing on the website: ‘Noah Buchanan; I am a transgender male and have been out since 2018. I have 10+ years of working in the mental health field.
‘What motivated me to start TRAN was the fact I was bullied to the point where I attempted to end my own life. The person that bullied me was a fellow member of the LGBTIA+.’
Others have flags and stickers available which say ‘defend equality’ on the trans flag colours
The Trans Resistance Network, whose founders are currently unknown, said that they felt the need to speak out as a ‘collective’ and appeared to be encouraging the use of firearms
Marjorie Taylor Greene slammed the decision to go ahead with the demonstration on Twitter
In a statement to DailyMail.com Buchanan said: ‘What I will say is that this protest was not about encouraging or promoting violence.
‘This protest is about uniting and letting people know that we are human beings, we exist, and love conquers hate.’
Distancing themselves from Hale, the group published a statement on their website ahead of the event which said: ‘We are horrified at the acts of violence committed at the Covenant school on March 27, 2023.
‘We grieve for Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Cynthia Peak, Katherine Koonce, and Mike Hill, and with their loved ones.
‘We also reject any connection between that horrific event and outs.
‘Vengeance means fighting back with vehemence. We are fighting against false narratives, criminalization, and eradication of our existence.’
Following the shooting, the LGBTQ community in Tennessee have started increasing their security following the shooting, with one activist saying that they are terrified ‘more blood is going to be shed, and it’s not going to be in a school’ because of the response to the incident.
Trans activist Alejandra Caraballo also found herself facing a backlash after several tweets regarding the shooting.
She had previously been invited to Congress by the Democratic party to talk about social media safety & was confronted about her recent comments threatening judges
Trans activist Alejandra Caraballo also found herself facing a backlash after several tweets regarding the shooting
Hale was born female but had recently begun using he/him pronouns and the name ‘Aiden’ according to friends and police
Hallie Scruggs, 9, was killed in the shooting and is pictured with her father, a pastor at the church, Chad Scruggs
Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, was one of the victims shot by transgender shooter Audrey Hale, 28, after she opened fire at the private Christian school on Monday
Quoting a tweet regarding the shooting she said: ‘Thank god Tennessee protected the children from the so-called horrors of drag and gender-affirming care so they can be shot up at school by an AR-15 instead.’
It comes after a radical transgender group – which is separate to TRAN – claim that Hale was driven to kill three children and three adults by an ‘avalanche’ of anti-trans policies and sentiment, adding: ‘Hate has consequences’.
The Trans Resistance Network, whose founders are currently unknown, said that they felt the need to speak out as a ‘collective’.
In a statement they said: ‘We point out that today’s incident in Nashville, is not one tragedy but two. The first tragedy today is the loss of life of three children and adults.
‘The second and more complex tragedy is that Aiden or Aubrey Hale, who felt he had no other effective way to be seen than to lash out buy taking the life of others, and by consequence, himself. ‘
The group said that ‘anti-trans hate’ had to be factored into Hale’s acts – although they noted: ‘We do not claim to know the individual or have access to their inner thoughts or feelings.’
It has also sparked a backlash online, with many calling out the group for their views – which have now been locked behind a private social media account.
Katherine Koonce, head of school (left), and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher (right) were among those shot dead by Audrey Hale
The daughter of Mike Hill (pictured), who had worked at the school for more than a decade, said that she ‘never thought’ he would be killed in a mass shooting