I am outraged by the remarks Senator Heffernan recently made about H.578, the bill concerning penalties for animal cruelty. In comments that can be heard online (www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmbDvhJIfcM), he wondered how the law would apply to transgender people who “identify as animals.” That an elected official would repeat such a grotesque and ignorant talking point in 2026 is shameful.

This is not a harmless joke. It is not “just asking questions.” It is the deliberate use of one of the oldest and most dangerous slurs aimed at transgender people that reduces human beings to a punchline in order to deny their dignity and humanity. Trans Vermonters are our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, friends and family members. They deserve respect and safety, not ridicule from someone elected to represent them.

This is not an isolated incident. Senator Heffernan was also the only senator to not vote in favor of Proposal 4, the long-overdue equal rights amendment to the Vermont Constitution. This reveals a troubling pattern of hostility and contempt toward vulnerable people.

Those of us who live in Addison County deserve representation grounded in basic decency and respect for human rights. This fall, voters should elect Ruth Hardy and Hannah Sessions and send Senator Heffernan a clear message: if you traffic in cruelty and dehumanization, you should not hold public office in Vermont.

Vote him out.

Mike Roy
Middlebury