Sen. Cory Booker is speaking up for trans women — especially trans women of color.
The 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful from New Jersey appeared to be hopping mad about the issue Wednesday.
The story of 23-year-old Muhlaysia Booker (no known relation to the senator) is especially brutal. About a month ago, a mob attacked her in a Dallas apartment complex. They reportedly beat her, kicked her, stomped on her head and shouted homophobic slurs at her. Over the weekend, she was shot to death in East Texas.
Booker’s Facebook page describes her as an “entertainer” at Dallas Cabaret, a strip club with two locations.
Muhlaysia Booker. Michelle Washington. Dana Martin. Ashanti Carmon. Claire Legato. And those are just the names we know. Trans women of color are more likely to be killed than other groups of transgender women. This is a fact. And we have to do all we can to protect their lives. https://t.co/PSmbors3uI
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 22, 2019
This isn’t the first time Booker, the candidate, has put transgender people on his presidential agenda. Back in March, he said that “Trump’s ban on transgender Americans serving in the military is insulting and deeply un-American. The next president should immediately end this ridiculous policy—if elected, I plan to do so.”
In 2017, the senator spoke out about the issue on his website and also managed to get in a dig at President Trump in the process.
“The thousands of transgender Americans serving in our military are heroes – just as all of our service members are – who risk their lives to keep us safe,” he said in a statement. “Forbidding these brave Americans to serve our country flies in the face of the values the United States was built upon. It also undermines our national security and makes our military forces weaker. Our military should be recruiting the best and brightest, regardless of gender identity.”
Booker slashed Trump for his lack of military service.
“This decision is particularly galling coming from a President who actively avoided military service through five draft deferments and believes that the word ‘sacrifice’ means trying to make money,” he said. “Mr. President, trans military members have sacrificed far more than you ever have – or will.”
Booker, 50, has degrees from Stanford and Yale. He, too, has never served in the military.
But he did once shovel a senior citizen’s snowy driveway.
He also reportedly saved a woman from a house fire.
And he allegedly rescued a freezing dog.