When The Alleged Shooter Is Mx.

As the chorus of voices condemning the Club Q shooting leveled blame for hatred against transgender people in general, and drag shows in particular, at a broad swathe of people who richly deserve the blame, the accused shooter’s lawyers threw a wrench into the works.

In a clip that’s since gone viral, CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota is caught without any idea of what to make of this new piece of information.

https://twitter.com/KevinTober94/status/1595266602479616000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1595266602479616000%7Ctwgr%5E23f390e7b10b4affeef0fdad3c5968c6d5c37b3f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fanderson-aldrich-non-binary-cnn-host-alisyn-camerota-viral-shooting-colorado-springs-1761613

The defendant, 22-year-old Anderson Lee Aldrich, is said to be non-binary, uses “they/them” pronouns and is given the honorific “Mx.” in the papers. The reaction to this unexpected news was curious.

Louis replied: “It sounds like they are trying to prepare a defense against a hate crimes charge.

“That is the least of his problems, legally speaking, but that looks like they are trying to build some kind of sympathy or at least confusion on the question of whether or not this was purely motivated by hate.”

Camerota agreed and said:” Yes, that is what it sounds like. We will wait to see.”

Should the defendant be convicted of murdering five people, and wounding many others, is there any serious concern about a hate crimes enhancement to avoid kicking the defendant’s corpse in the nuts a few times after his lifeless body is left on the floor of his prison cell? It’s unlikely.

While there remains no clear evidence of what motivated this horrific shooting, the assumption is unavoidable that Aldrich was the end-product of a anti-trans demonization about how it’s grooming, ruinous to children and a nation. While the alphabet of LGBTQ+ is used in the media characterizations, there is nothing to suggest L, G or B, had anything to do with it. This was a matter of T and Q, with the possibility of the plus having some influence according to what the plus means. But then, what does it mean that they is a them?

Perhaps the public defenders representing Aldrich are apologists for QAnon conspiracy theorists, or tools of the right wing anti-trans crowd, seeking to muddle the narrative of blame for this tragedy, but to taint Aldrich’s lawyers with improper motive is not only baseless at this time, but against the odds. Few public defenders are staunch right wing extremists.

Is this new assertion, that Aldrich is non-binary and that his lawyers will use “they/them” pronouns in filings going forward, a vindication of Tucker Carlson? The problem is that, regardless of what Carlson did before or has earned with his inflammatory and outrageous diatribes, the connection to what Aldrich did exists only in the minds of those who seek to use this mass murder to blame others. It’s as if Aldrich has nothing to do with the problem, except for the minor detail that he was the alleged shooter.

But now that Aldrich’s lawyers have made the assertion that they is non-binary, that they uses “they/them” pronouns, that they is a Mx. and not a Mr., can anyone question it? Is it something that should be questioned? Does it matter? Should it?

There is nothing about calling oneself “non-binary” that suggests that Aldrich’s sexual orientation is homosexual, or any of the 97 permutations thereof. The gender identity of “non-binary” is one of those brilliantly self-indulgent claims that serve to tell the world that you want to be special without any meaningful consequences. Being non-binary doesn’t require a person to prefer sex with men, women or goats. It’s a worthless word signifying nothing beyond the claimer feeling a childish need to pretend to be special.

Claiming to prefer “they/them” pronouns will no doubt contribute to confusion in the papers, as it adds a gloss of incoherence to arguments that would be best served by clarity. Will the judge feel constrained to use these pronouns as well? The prosecution? If not, would that suggest they don’t believe the representations of Aldrich’s public defenders, that they is sincere about their gender identity, or would it be a rejection of the silly affectation of insipid children as they refuse to contribute to the universe of woke gibberish?

If Aldrich’s claim of being a Mx. rather than any other “M” honorific isn’t respected, are others’ claim to their own special gender identity similarly suspect, or subject to question?

There is nothing about gender identity that bears any relevant connection to the issue of whether Aldrich killed five human beings. Intent is an element. Motive is not. Whether this shooting was because Tucker Carlson told him to or because he suffered from some other issue doesn’t change the evidence of guilt against him.

But what this does demonstrate is how these ridiculous affectations are neither provable nor deniable, meaningful or nonsensical, and introduce a level of pointless incoherence into an otherwise horrible event. To what end? To the extent this claim of being non-binary is irrelevant and nonsensical here, it’s no better otherwise.

If Anderson Lee Aldrich is convicted of these murders, does anyone really care what pronouns he uses? And if Anderson Lee Aldrich is convicted of these murders, will the people he killed be any less dead because he’s non-binary? And should the jury, upon returning a one-word verdict, not use his referred pronouns, will he be any less guilty?

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20 thoughts on “When The Alleged Shooter Is Mx.”

  1. Henry Berry

    Might this have something to do with conditions of imprisonment upon conviction? For example, he could be put in a women’s jail.

  3. Mike V.

    I found it interesting that CNN is so entrenched in “the narrative” that the knee jerk reaction was to reject the assertions of the defendant’s lawyers. While I’ve known many lawyers who will use every ethical means to minimize the impact on their client, I’ve never known an attorney to lie in a court filing, which is what CNN seems to accuse them of doing. And like you, I’ve never known a right-wing public defender, even in the hills of East Tennessee.

    1. B. McLeod

      Because the stereotypes which drive identity politics don’t allow Mx. Aldrich to be hostile to they LGBTQ MOUSE siblings. They is required to join the big tent and conform they external stereotype to that required by the sacred idiotology.

    2. Paleo

      Have you seen the online kerfuffle involving the NBC misinformation reporter (LOL) who switched seamlessly from yesterday’s “he was radicalized by Tucker Carlson and anti gay hate groups” to today’s “ in high school he was bullied by right wingers”. The second of those isn’t even a coherent excuse for shooting gays, but I digress.

      The misinformation expert at NBC wants to blame it on his political opponents regardless of the facts. How do these people remain credible?

    3. Redditlaw

      Hi, Mike V.

      I’m Redditlaw. Pleased to make your acquaintance although I am out in the far hinterlands and not in the hills of East Tennessee.

  4. Hunting Guy

    This story doesn’t fit the narrative.

    I’ll give it a couple of days and the news will disappear into the media black hole.

    Just like the black football player killing the other black football players at the University of Virginia.

    1. B. McLeod

      After returning from the African Ametican Studies/Social Justice class outing to a screening of “Till.” Presumably the gunman gets at least an “Incomplete” in Social Jusyice, if not an “F” (assuming those are still allowed).

  5. Mark Daniel Myers

    If I understand your contempt for the idea of being non-binary in general, you would not do the same in your own filings, if you represented this same person. Is that fair?

    2. B. McLeod

      Note that this is Colorado and these are public defenders. They were undoubtedly required to ask the suspect about their gender status and pronouns in the initial interview, and also to go with whatever the client said. Because that’s how this idiocy works.

  6. B. McLeod

    Interesting that both the reporter and the guest talking heads proceed to ignore their own dogmatic rules and hatefully misgender the suspect multiple times. Fucking shitlords. It’s an outrage!

  8. Kacie

    In Virginia yesterday, a shooter killed six, and a number of people were injured. In Colorado, a shooter killed five, with a great number injured. Putting aside for argument’s sake that the Virginia shooter apparently committed suicide, why should bias enter into the charges of one mass killer and not the other? Either is a staggering violation of the social contract, but do we need highly symbolic laws to deal with them? We have other laws that do just great.

  9. Anonymous Coward

    Could it have been a crime of passion rather than a crime of hate? Gay, trans etc. people have lover’s quarrels just like straight people. For example the FtM trans police sergeant in Oregon who hired a hit man to kill their ex wife.

  10. Skink

    I’m going with a whole simpler rationale for this stuff: the footnote was included in hopes that following the wish will lead to better courtroom demeanor. But that’s my hope.

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