Republican leaders and activists are demanding sweeping bans on “transgender” treatments and accountability for doctors and hospitals following last week’s Catholic school murders in Minneapolis.
As The Dallas Express reported, a “transgender” gunman opened fire inside a Catholic school on August 27, killing two children and wounding 17 others during a back-to-school Mass. The tragedy has renewed debate over so-called “gender-affirming care” and whether medical professionals should face liability for performing such procedures.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, pastors and faith leaders framed the attack as part of a broader “war on Christianity,” warning believers to remain steadfast amid rising hostility. That religious response has now been joined by a wave of Republican leaders demanding political action and accountability for hospitals, doctors, and mental health professionals involved in “transgender” treatments.
Democrats: Gun Control, Not Prayer
Democrats, meanwhile, have largely avoided addressing the role of “transgender” ideology in the shooting, instead focusing on calls for stricter gun-control laws. Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.) criticized efforts to highlight the attacker’s gender, calling it “not the moment to point fingers” and urging a broader focus on combating gun violence through measures like assault weapon bans and enhanced mental health resources, according to the New York Post.
Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) likewise expressed frustration over congressional inaction on gun reform, pushing for “common-sense” measures such as stronger background checks and age limits on firearms purchases, per The Daily Beast.
Minneapolis Democrat Mayor Jacob Frey also criticized “thoughts and prayers,” pointing out that “these kids were literally praying” when the murders occurred, calling for action instead of spiritual consolation, People reported.
GOP Leaders Respond
Republican leaders said the shooting highlights the dangers of normalizing “transgender” ideology, describing it as both a mental illness and a public safety risk.
“Mental illness should be treated, not affirmed. Altering official records or performing harmful medical procedures should be criminalized — especially on children,” Senate Republican Executive Committeewoman Christin Bentley told The Dallas Express. “Texas has taken steps in the right direction, but there’s more work to do to protect kids and ensure those suffering get real treatment.”
Tarrant County Republican Chairman Bo French went further, telling The Dallas Express that Congress must shut down what he called the “transgender industry.”
“After multiple mass shootings by individuals identifying as ‘trans,’ Congress must act immediately to shut down this industry,” French said. “Ban the drugs. Ban so-called affirming care. Ban surgeries. Ban counseling. Ban changes to government documents. Do everything possible to restore sanity and certainty to America.”
U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill described “transgenderism” as a “disease” and condemned what he called predators pushing it onto children.
“Transgenderism is not only a disease, it’s a dark distortion of natural order and God-ordained gender,” Gill told The Dallas Express. “This woke, weird ideology is mutilating children and being shoved down their throats by predators in education and media. Those who further entrap the young and vulnerable should face consequences.”
Studies Raise Doubts
Studies also raise concerns about the “transgender” medical industry. A four-year review by the National Health Service in England found evidence supporting hormone blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors was “remarkably weak.”
A California study found individuals who underwent sex-altering surgeries were twice as likely to commit suicide following vaginoplasty procedures.
A May 2025 Department of Health and Human Services review likewise cast doubt on the effectiveness of gender-transition procedures for young people. The 409-page federal report concluded that evidence supporting puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries was “very low” in quality and carried significant risks, including irreversible infertility. It recommended prioritizing psychotherapy as a safer first-line treatment.
Activists Demand Accountability
Republican activists said the evidence, combined with repeated acts of violence, shows the practice must end — and that doctors should face liability for the harm caused.
“Doctors and psychologists should not be allowed to transition people because this is not medicine, it’s ideology,” activist Jeff Younger told The Dallas Express. “Medicine is supposed to heal the body and mind, not mutilate healthy organs or feed delusions. Professionals who do this are abusing their authority and harming patients.”
Younger added, “There is never a medical or psychological justification for harming people. Affirming delusions, chemically altering the body, or surgically altering body parts all demonstrably harm people. There should be criminal penalties for it.”
The Dallas Express previously reported that a California judge granted Jeff Younger’s ex-wife, Anne Georgulas, authority to “transition” their son James into a girl.
Tracy Shannon, a self-described “trans widow,” echoed calls to end the practice.
“Transgenderism should be eradicated from polite society,” Shannon told The Dallas Express. “Send this kink back into the bathhouse, dark rooms, and gay clubs. All surgeries and hormone therapies should be banned. Affirmation therapy should be banned and criminalized. It is brainwashing and a conduit to unnecessary medical procedures. Professionals who validate mental illness instead of treating it should be held accountable.”
Faith Leaders Call for Regulation
Faith leaders also demanded stronger protections. Pastor Troy Jackson of New Beginnings Church in Bedford told The Dallas Express that society has a moral duty to shield children and adults from procedures he described as dangerous and irreversible.
“I do believe we must end the medicalization of minors, no puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries for children. For adults, I support strict regulation: full disclosure of risks, mandatory waiting periods, independent psychological evaluations, robust malpractice liability, and truthful advertising,” Jackson said. “Counseling should be free to explore reality, not coerced to affirm a predetermined outcome.”
Contrast with Democrats
The Minneapolis Catholic school attack has sharpened the political divide. Democrats emphasize gun restrictions, while Republicans argue the greater threat is the normalization of “transgender” ideology and the medical industry enabling it. The GOP is pushing not only for bans but for full accountability of hospitals and doctors who profit from procedures critics say irreparably harm children.
The Dallas Express contacted the Cleveland Clinic and UCLA Health — two providers of “gender-affirming care” — for comment. This article will be updated if they respond.