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LGBTQ - As the dust settles on the election, we now move towards the practical reality. One of my biggest questions: What will the new Trump administration do to transgender people like me?
It’s easy to say he will round us up and put us in camps. But it probably won’t look like that. They probably won’t be called “camps.” It probably won’t be called “rounding up.” It will be more subtle than that. That subtlety makes it even more dangerous because it will be easier for cisgender people to miss it. They’ll be affected too, though, so their awareness is critical for both us and themselves.
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Let’s look at what’s already happened. Over the last several years, Republicans have pursued anti-trans legislation with a zeal that would make you think we are a plague on society. Over 1,000 anti-trans laws have been proposed over the last two years, covering everything from medical care to IDs to bathroom usage to sports to the way we dress. Trump has promised to enact similar laws at the federal level, and Project 2025 calls for even more.
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To understand what the oppression of trans people will look like, note what it looks like for other groups. Mass incarceration of Black men has been accomplished, not by some blunt edict like “round them up”, but by a combination of draconian laws with disproportionate punishments, over-policing, and economic oppression that denies access to basic human needs. For trans people, laws around “cross-dressing” have been used to accomplish similar oppression.
Under Trump, trans oppression may look like banning hormone replacement theory, followed by arresting those of us who try to obtain hormones anyway. It might look like requiring gender markers on IDs to match our sex assigned at birth, and then charging those who continue to use the ID that matches our gender with fraud or perjury. It could also look like involuntary commitment to mental institutions. All of these, even if rarely enforced, create an environment of fear, where we always wonder when the next law or crackdown will come.
Of course, all of these actions will continue to affect the most marginalized among us. Trans women of color or those with disabilities will find it harder to gain employment, leading to more precarious lives.
That’s all to say, don’t wait for some blunt, “lock up all the trans people” message. While we can’t rule anything out completely, it’s hard for me to imagine it will start that way. But the effect of those other laws will be similar. And even if trans people choose to comply, we will experience a prison of another kind.
If you are cisgender, we need you to ally with us to push back on what’s to come because we simply have very little political power. But I also want you to consider how the erosion of our rights will lay the groundwork for the erosion of yours. We have common cause, and each step they take to strip my rights also fashions a weapon to use against you.
Let’s take abortion access. For decades, conservatives, particularly religious conservatives, have said that they are not trying to control women’s bodies but rather “protect the life of the unborn.” They use such arguments to avoid having to take on bodily autonomy itself. But for trans health care, if lawmakers override the endorsements of gender-affirming care – given by every major medical organization in this country – it creates a precedent to directly attack other forms of bodily autonomy. As many on the far right have recently declared in the wake of Trump’s win, “Your body; my choice.” This is not a case of outlawing medications or procedures that are now proven to be bad medicine (e.g., conversion therapy); it’s just banning things they don’t like because they don’t like them.
In short, if my healthcare decisions are no longer between me and my doctor, yours won’t be either.
Let’s consider employment and education discrimination as well. I am strongly considering going into teaching. But the new administration may create a national Don’t Say Gay/Trans policy in our schools. This could result in my inability to even be a teacher, as I am pretty obviously transgender.
Trans teachers already experience harassment, but soon it could go even further. Not only that but teachers would be required to deadname and misgender trans youth. They may also stop trans girls from wearing feminine clothing. From there, it’s easy to get to strict gendered dress codes for all. Once again, the targeting of trans kids creates precedent that removes freedom of expression for all. Fundamentally, our rights are your rights.
As we move towards January 20th, it’s time to get connected to your local LGBTQ+ center and see how you can help. Stay informed by following trans journalists. Write your representatives (either party) to tell them you stand with trans people. Talk to cisgender friends and help them see the threats. Wear shirts or put stickers on your door or car that show that you support trans people, including trans kids. Get loud.
Finally, check in on your trans friends. The GOP spent over $200 million demonizing trans people during the election, and there’s a good chance they’re having a rough time right now. Spend time with them and let them know you’re there for them. We need that now more than ever.
(Celeste Irwin is known for her personal blog, "Celestial Navigation," where she shares her experiences as a Christian transgender woman. This story was featured in LGBTQ Nation.)
