Article snippet: The Washington Post broke the story on Thursday, citing “three people present” at a HUD meeting: A HUD official, who had not been present at the meeting, defended Carson, saying he never used derogatory language against transgendered people. The official added that “Carson was referring to men who pretend to be women to gain access to battered women’s shelters — and not singling out transgender women as “big, hairy men.” The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights organization, slammed Carson on Thursday evening, according to Politico: But in his email to HUD employees, Carson said his words had been twisted, according to Politico: Carson’s concern — that women could be at risk from being housed together with those who are biologically male but who say that their gender identity is female — is not unique. In Canada, a “progressive” women’s shelter for rape victims has insisted on excluding transgendered women (who are biologically male) out of concern for the safety of the women whom it is devoted to protecting. (The response has been vandalism and harassment by angry activists.) In May, Carson announced a new HUD rule that would allow local homeless shelters to decide for themselves if they wanted to use biological sex, not gender identity, as a basis for deciding how to provide housing. The policy under the Obama administration had been a one-size-fits-all rule forcing all shelters to recognize gender identity. Carson has decided that the safety of homeless women... Link to the full article to read more