By removing the initial comment, I believe it would take away the effectiveness of the commenters below.

This is demonstrably false, bigots thrive on "just asking questions" which is a well documented trolling tactic, and the replies to their comment will remain even if you remove the bigotry.

I don’t wish to overly moderate a community if there is no active harm,

But there IS active harm - you leaving these transphobic ableist comments up lets neurodiverse trans people like myself know that you prioritise your need for "neutrality" and "meaningful debate" (which is not happening here, you're just providing more platform for a bigot to spread their bigotry and misinformation) over our safety and inclusion.

I respect everyone’s thoughts on the matter, even the ones telling me I am wrong for not removing it. I am still sticking with this decision. Thank you for everyone’s input.

Obviously you only respect your own opinion then.

Thanks for making it clear that people like me are not welcome or safe in communities you run, I'll be avoiding them all, as I'm sure others will.

But hey, well done you, you defended a bigot!