This 21-year-old survived two school shootings
  February 14, 2023 Happy(?) Valentine’s Day, Meteor readers, I wish I had better tidings for February 14, famously known as Anna Howard Shaw Day. But unfortunately, we must process the news of yet another tragic school shooting. In case you’re wondering, the last time we covered a mass shooting was…less than one month ago. Today we mourn the three lives lost, look into the shooter’s history, and explore the unprotected state of today’s transgender youth. I know, it’s a lot. I’ve been grabbing a feel-better snack about once every 28 seconds. My house is quickly running out of frozen Kit-Kats—which I highly recommend. Not exactly the Valentine’s Day chocolates I was expecting, but I’ll take it. Well, no putting it off any further. Let’s get into the news. Grabbing another pick-me-up, Bailey Wayne Hundl  WHAT’S GOING ONThe shooting at Michigan State: On Monday night, the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Parkland massacre, a tragic shooting took place at Michigan State University. Three people have died, five more were critically wounded, and the suspect has been identified as a 43-year-old man unaffiliated with the university, who ultimately shot and killed himself. The identities of two victims have been released: Brian Fraser, a sophomore who was president of MSU’s Phi Delta Theta chapter, and Alexandria Verner, a junior who played basketball, softball, and volleyball through high school. The family of the third victim has requested not to be identified.  THE ROCK, A MONUMENT ON THE MSU CAMPUS, PAINTED TO MOURN THE VICTIMS (Image by Scott Olsen, Getty Images News) The gunman’s history had many of the usual danger signs: He had been arrested in 2019 for carrying a firearm without a permit, and was sentenced to 18 months of probation—during which time his father has said he repeatedly lied to him about possessing a gun. At the time of last night’s shooting, the gunman had a two-page note in his backpack that indicated an additional threat to two schools in Ewing, New Jersey. (He apparently had ties in the area.) All Ewing public schools have been closed as a precaution. We know this story all too well. According to the Gun Violence Archive, this is the 67th mass shooting in America this year—and it’s only February. Mass shootings are so commonplace that we’re starting to see people whose lives are touched by more than one. This 21-year-old student, now a survivor of both the MSU shooting and the Sandy Hook shooting, summed it up best on TikTok last night: “We can no longer just provide love and prayers. It needs to be legislation. It needs to be action.” In a statement made today commemorating the Parkland massacre, President Biden announced that $231 million will be allocated to the Justice Department to “reduce gun violence and save lives.” This money will fund crisis intervention projects such as “red flag” programs. But of course, as we’ve discussed before, “red flag” laws are not enough; they require civilians to fire reports to trigger the law. If you recall from last fall, the gunman at Colorado Springs’ Club Q had been arrested before the shooting—but because he was not charged, and no one who knew him filed a report, he was allowed to keep his firearm. What’s needed instead is a full overhaul of our gun laws—starting with an assault weapons ban. Call your representatives today and tell them to act now to end gun violence. Who’s protecting trans youth?: On Monday, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed HB 1080 into law, banning access to all gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors. As of July 1, South Dakota doctors will be unable to prescribe or administer puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or any gender-affirming surgery to anyone under the age of 18. This makes South Dakota the second state to outlaw this medical care, following Utah’s ban in late January. And with more than 80 similar bills on their way, more states are sure to join. This news comes as the trans community mourns the loss of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old trans teenager who was stabbed to death Saturday in a park in Warrington, England. (Two 15-year-olds have been arrested as suspects.) Police say they have not yet found evidence that this was a hate crime, but many of Ghey’s friends have come forward claiming she had faced transphobic bullying for years—with very little intervention or protection from the administration at her school. As a trans person who didn’t start HRT until I was late in my 20s, I have to wonder: Who do these anti-trans legislators think they’re protecting by blocking minors from accessing care? Because trans youth are not in any way protected right now. Anti-trans rhetoric makes them more vulnerable to attacks from their peers—not to mention the fact that trans youth who are blocked from gender-affirming care are far more likely to consider or attempt suicide. Legislators claim they’re just shielding young people from making irreversible changes to their bodies—but there’s no change more irreversible than death. As trans activist Lindsey Spero said while testifying before the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday, “Your denial of my need for this medication doesn’t make my existence as a trans person any less real.” As the Board considered a ban on puberty blockers and HRT, Spero used his allotted time to take a testosterone shot in front of them. He told the Board, “I could stand here and tell you about the times I attempted to end my life because I didn’t have access to gender-affirming care. But I know. I know you don’t care.” They still passed the ban, though. So I guess he was right. AND:
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