Experts say ‘very dangerous’ move diverts attention from violence driven by far-right extremist ideologies

Last month, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the justice department, said it would grant up to $1m for studies into the frequency and type of violence committed by people who have been diagnosed and treated for gender dysphoria.

The notice comes as the Trump administration has aggressively sought to curtail the rights of transgender people in the US, limiting their access to healthcare and identification documents with their correct gender identity on them. It also comes more than a year after the administration has cut funding to research into hate-fueled and extremist violence.

The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to falsely portray transgender people as more likely to commit extremist violence, said Wendy Via, the co-founder and CEO of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE). By doing this, the administration diverts attention from violence driven by far-right extremist ideologies such as the “great replacement” theory, which several high-profile shooters have cited in their manifestos, she added.