In the Feb. 28 edition of the Bainbridge Island Review, we published a political cartoon alongside a guest opinion column titled “Not accepting Trans definitions not cruelty, just biology” by attorney and columnist Christine Flowers. Although the Review has published columns by Christine Flowers in the past, we used poor judgment in selecting last week’s guest opinion column and the accompanying political cartoon. Furthermore, the Bainbridge Island Review does not support or condone the opinions expressed in this column or cartoon.

Since the inception of newspapers, one of their goals has been to present information from all points of view. By doing so, the aim is to have an informed public that understands all sides of an issue, leading to better decision-making. Opinion pages are, by nature, meant to express diverse viewpoints where everyone does not always agree; however, this column and cartoon went too far and was hurtful to many.

We sincerely apologize for our error in judgment and the harm the column and cartoon have caused our community. We should not have published them, as they insulted our readers’ opinions and beliefs. A community by definition is a group of people who share common interests, values, and goals. A community newspaper further strengthens our community by giving voice to shared experiences, providing a sense of belonging, support, and connection.

We’d like to thank our many readers and the strong supporters of local journalism for bringing this issue to our attention. Your feedback is invaluable. We recognize our mistake and are committed to learning from it, ensuring it does not happen again. Our first step towards a more inclusive path is to discontinue Christine Flowers’ columns in the Bainbridge Island Review.