Boston Globe Op-Ed Argues Anti-Trans Violence is Declining

An opinion piece published in The Boston Globe asserts that violence against transgender people has been decreasing, contrary to the concerns raised by transgender advocacy groups. The article, written by former USA Today columnist David Mastio, analyzes statistics from organizations like Advocates for Trans Equality and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which Mastio suggests show a notable decline in recorded violent deaths in recent years.

Despite these statistics, advocacy groups maintain that the data is incomplete and may not accurately reflect the full scope of anti-trans violence. They attribute this potential incompleteness to misnaming and misgendering of victims in official records and media reports, making it difficult to accurately identify transgender individuals among those who have died.

Mastio's piece highlights that the HRC reported a peak of 47 deaths in 2021, which fell to 27 in the following year, a 40% decrease. He further notes that despite what he describes as a "hostile Trump administration and a barrage of anti-trans legislation across the country," the number of documented violent deaths documented by the HRC fell by nearly 50%, from 53 in 2023 to 27 in 2025.

The op-ed also references a report from the Manhattan Institute, which reportedly suggests that the transgender population experiences a lower murder rate than the general population. Mastio states that the HRC did not respond to a request for comment regarding this report.

Advocates for Trans Equality, however, have disputed the notion that transgender individuals are safer. They argue that a "dip in one datapoint" does not indicate increased safety and point to other issues affecting the community, such as Medicaid cuts, rising gas prices, and widespread anti-trans legislation introduced at the state level. The organization contends that hundreds of anti-trans bills introduced annually, coupled with restrictions on gender-affirming care and difficulties with identification documents, contribute to making transgender people less safe.

Colin Wright, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and co-author of the report cited in the op-ed, called the Globe article "shockingly sober" and expressed that he was not surprised by the HRC's lack of response. Wright suggested that the HRC is prioritizing fundraising narratives over factual accuracy and that the media should acknowledge the data presented.

The Boston Globe provided a statement to Fox News Digital, clarifying that the piece is a guest op-ed and represents the views of the author, with Globe Opinion publishing a range of perspectives.