On this week’s episode of Transpositive PDX, airing Tuesday at 6pm on KBOO Community Radio 90.7 FM and streaming online at kboo.fm, Jean, Nicolette, Sheila, and Emma come together for a timely and challenging conversation about the stories shaping our community right now. As always, we center transgender voices while engaging critically with the headlines, the narratives, and the political forces that impact our lives.
In this episode, we discuss the recent school shooting. Once initial details emerged about the suspect’s gender identity, online conversations quickly became polarized. Some social media posts and commentators have tried to use those details to advance broad narratives about transgender people and violence — but fact-checking and data experts point out there’s no evidence of any epidemic or pattern of “trans shooters” in Canada or elsewhere, and such claims are misleading and harmful. Our conversation explores how acts of violence are framed, how identity is politicized, and how trans communities are often collectively judged for the actions of individuals. We reflect on the dangers of scapegoating, the complexities of mental health and social isolation, and the ways reactionary movements attempt to weaponize tragedy against marginalized people.
We also examine the recent cessation of the Oregon ballot initiative that had drawn significant attention across the state. The ballot initiative that was recently dropped in Oregon was the Equal Rights for All constitutional amendment (also referenced as Initiative Petition 33). It was a campaign to amend the Oregon Constitution to explicitly protect transgender health care, abortion, and same-sex marriage rights among other protections, but organizers announced they would not proceed with the campaign for the November 2026 ballot. What happened behind the scenes? What does its suspension mean for transgender Oregonians and for broader LGBTQ+ advocacy efforts? Emma discusses her disappointment in the decision to drop the ballot initiative while Jean and Sheila talk about the wisdom of knowing which direction the tide is moving.
As always, Transpositive PDX creates space for thoughtful, nuanced dialogue rather than easy answers. Join us Tuesday night at 6pm on KBOO 90.7 FM in Portland or listen online at kboo.fm for an in-depth, community-centered discussion you won’t hear anywhere else.