Transgender leftist accounts across various social media platforms have been actively celebrating the tragic Minneapolis church shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on August 27, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of two Christian children and injuries to 17 others. These accounts, often associated with far-left ideologies, have framed the attack as a form of retribution against Christianity, specifically targeting the faith for its perceived opposition to transgender rights. Posts on platforms like X and other forums have circulated narratives that glorify the shooter, Robin Westman, as a figure of resistance, with some users explicitly praising the act as a strike against religious institutions they claim oppress marginalized communities. The rhetoric in these posts often invokes a sense of vengeance, portraying the shooting as a response to the broader cultural and political rejection of transgender identities by conservative Christian groups.
The framing of the shooting as revenge also ties into opposition against the Trump administration’s policies, particularly its executive actions to define sex as biological and restrict transgender rights, such as the January 20, 2025, order emphasizing biological sex in federal policy. These social media accounts argue that such policies, which they label as anti-trans, create an environment of hostility that justifies extreme actions like the Minneapolis shooting. Hashtags and slogans circulating online, such as “#TransResistance” and “#NoSafeSpaces,” have been used to amplify these sentiments, with some users claiming the attack was a symbolic blow against the administration’s stance on child transitions and gender identity. These posts often highlight the shooter’s reported manifesto and inscriptions like “Kill Donald Trump” on a rifle magazine as evidence of a broader ideological battle against conservative values.
This celebration has sparked significant backlash from conservative commentators and community leaders, who argue that such rhetoric not only glorifies violence but also deepens societal divisions. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, in a press conference, condemned the scapegoating of the transgender community but faced criticism for not directly addressing the inflammatory posts from leftist accounts. Meanwhile, organizations like GLAAD have emphasized that transgender individuals are statistically far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, urging a focus on the victims and gun violence prevention rather than politicized narratives. The celebration of the shooting by these accounts remains a contentious issue, fueling debates about the role of social media in amplifying extremist views and the need for accountability in online spaces.
