Scott Wiener calls violence research “absolutely vile.” Congress should fund it.
Wiener, elected to replace Nancy Pelosi, says defending transgender people will be a priority in Congress as DOJ seeks research on violence.
The research belongs in the open, and on Nov. 7 Scott Wiener posted on X that a Justice Department grant studying gender dysphoria and violent crime is “absolutely vile.”1, 2
He accused the Justice Department of being “more focused on targeting people than actually upholding the rule of law”1.
Benjamin Ryan described Wiener as the man “who was elected on Tuesday to replace Nancy Pelosi in the House.” The post comes from a member-elect3 who now carries that framing into the House. He framed the study as part of a “never-ending quest to target, bully, provoke violence against, and eliminate trans people”1.
Wiener wrote: “We must stand up for trans people — their civil rights, their ability to lead full lives, their basic humanity — and this will be a priority for me in Congress.”1 The NIJ notice says: “This opportunity will support foundational research on gender dysphoria, its treatment, and the perpetration of violence and violent behavior.” It adds: “Available empirical evidence regarding this topic is limited2, particularly in regard to underlying causal mechanisms.”
A representative can defend people from violence and still want the evidence that shows where that violence comes from. Wiener’s post treats the question itself as the offense, and families need lawmakers who will not do that.
“We must stand up for trans people — their civil rights, their ability to lead full lives, their basic humanity — and this will be a priority for me in Congress.”
The grant seeks evidence, not a verdict
The notice seeks retrospective studies using existing data, including research on crime prevalence, diagnosis or treatment, and related factors. It says proposals involving primary data collection will not be considered responsive2.
NIJ set expected total funding at $1 million, with the number of awards to depend on applications and their merit2. Treating the research question as a conclusion shuts down the inquiry families need policymakers to conduct responsibly.
Wiener's victimization claim leaves questions open
Wiener says transgender people are more likely to be victimized than to victimize1. Victimization deserves attention, but it does not answer the separate question the NIJ notice puts to researchers: whether gender dysphoria, its treatment and related factors are associated with violent behavior2.
The notice allows proposals to include people with a formal diagnosis or people who self-identify as having gender dysphoria, and asks for research on violent crime and behavior2. Wiener’s claim about who is victimized cannot settle what a careful study of existing data might find about violence, diagnosis, treatment or other factors. Parents should not be told that asking is itself beyond the pale.
Congress should fund research that protects families
The Justice Department notice lists protecting children among its priorities and calls for research products that give policymakers and practitioners actionable information2. That purpose matters to families. Public officials need evidence to make sound decisions about safety and violence, not a preemptive political label for research they dislike.
Congress should support responsible research that can inform the protection of children and families, and insist that findings distinguish evidence from assumption. NIJ’s notice seeks knowledge for policymakers and practitioners. Wiener’s response is to call the inquiry vile and promise to make defending transgender people a priority in Congress1. Families deserve both the protection of people from violence and the freedom to pursue facts that can help protect them.
Sources
- @Scott_Wiener on X, 2026-11-07: In its never-ending quest to target, bully, provoke violence against, and eliminate trans people, the regime is now funding a study to try to show that trans people are somehow more violent than other people. It’s absolutely vile and shows yet again that DOJ, 2026-11-07
- NIJ FY 2026 Research on Gender Dysphoria and Violent Crime
- @benryanwriter on X, 2026-11-07: Scott Wiener, who was elected on Tuesday to replace Nancy Pelosi in the House, excoriates the Trump administration for its efforts to foster research that would tie transgender identity to violence., 2026-11-07
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