The election of Donald Trump and the rise of his allies has marked a major setback for transgender rights in the United States. For LGBTQ+ advocates, particularly those fighting for transgender equality, this political shift signals a dangerous trend. As the Trump administration gained power, it set the stage for further marginalisation of transgender people through policy changes, laws, and rhetoric that have stoked widespread fear and anxiety.
But despite the increasing political backlash, the transgender community is not backing down. There’s a fierce resilience among activists and individuals who continue to push for dignity, respect, and basic human rights in the face of an ongoing political storm.
Transgender Rights in Crisis: The Impact of Trump’s Election
When Donald Trump was elected president, it wasn’t just a victory for the Republican Party—it was a seismic shift for the transgender rights movement. Trump’s campaign rhetoric often targeted transgender people, portraying them as a threat to the moral fabric of American society. This rhetoric became a blueprint for the administration’s policies, which many in the transgender community view as harmful and discriminatory.
Here’s why the Trump administration has been so damaging to transgender rights:
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Anti-trans Campaign Ads: Throughout his campaign, Trump and his allies ran ads that mocked the transgender community, including one infamous ad that portrayed Vice President Kamala Harris as someone who “supports ‘they/them’ pronouns” while Trump “supports you.” These ads stoked fear and division, framing transgender people as threats rather than fellow citizens.
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Executive Orders and Legislation: Trump’s election brought a wave of policies designed to restrict transgender people’s rights:
- Title IX Protections: Trump’s administration moved to exclude transgender students from protections under Title IX, which guarantees that all students, regardless of gender identity, can use restrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams that align with their gender identity.
- Healthcare Access: Under Trump, several states passed laws banning gender-affirming care for minors, with Texas leading the charge. Trump himself has spoken out against gender-affirming treatments, calling for penalties against doctors who prescribe hormone therapy or perform gender confirmation surgeries.
- Transgender Military Ban: Trump reinstated a ban on transgender people serving openly in the military, a policy that many see as a direct attack on the dignity and rights of those who serve.
The Growing Backlash: States Against Transgender Rights
In addition to the Trump administration’s policies, individual states have passed laws targeting transgender people. This coordinated effort to roll back rights has created a landscape where the transgender community faces increasing hostility. Among the most significant developments:
- Bans on Gender-Affirming Care: At least 26 states have adopted laws restricting access to gender-affirming care, with Texas leading the way in threatening legal action against doctors who provide such treatments.
- Bathroom Bills: These laws, which mandate that people use bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates, continue to be a source of contention. Texas was a front-runner in proposing such legislation, leading to public protests from the transgender community.
- Sports Bans: Laws in more than 24 states prevent transgender women and girls from competing in women’s and girls’ sports. This has become one of the most contentious issues, with opponents framing it as unfair while activists argue it’s an attack on transgender athletes’ rights.
What’s at Stake for Transgender Americans?
For many in the transgender community, the election of Trump and the subsequent political shifts felt like a personal attack. The visible rise of anti-trans sentiment in both political discourse and media coverage left transgender people feeling dehumanised and isolated.
Jennifer Finney Boylan, a transgender activist and author, summed up the emotional toll of this time, saying, “I just went through an election where I couldn’t watch a sports event on TV without seeing a commercial where trans people were portrayed as monsters.” For Boylan, the Trump era represents a painful chapter in a longer history of struggle for transgender rights.
But despite these setbacks, the transgender community remains resolute in their fight for equality. The spirit of resilience is strong, with activists and individuals vowing to continue their fight for dignity, safety, and acceptance in a society that often views them as second-class citizens.
A Long Road Ahead: The Path to Transgender Rights
While the Trump administration and Republican-led states have set back transgender rights, the battle is far from over. Key victories show that transgender rights advocates are not backing down:
- Sarah McBride made history by becoming the first openly transgender person elected to the US Congress in 2020, representing Delaware. This victory is symbolic of the continued fight for political and social representation for transgender people.
- Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, won her re-election and will return to the state’s House of Representatives after facing sanctions from Republican colleagues for speaking out in support of transgender rights.
But even as these victories are celebrated, the fight for transgender rights is ongoing. The backlash is real, and advocates like Shannon Minter, a transgender civil rights lawyer, continue to raise alarm about the real-world consequences of policies that deny transgender Americans their basic rights and protections.
Why Public Understanding of Transgender Lives is Crucial
One of the core challenges of this struggle is that the broader American public does not always understand the real lives and struggles of transgender people. Shannon Minter argues that there is an urgent need for the American public to see the humanity behind the headlines. “The ordinary people for whom being trans is not the center of their lives,” Minter says, need to be shown as human beings, not as political pawns or fringe figures.
In response to the increasing attacks on transgender rights, advocates are calling for more education, awareness, and coalition-building to push back against negative portrayals of the transgender community. The goal is to create a more inclusive society where transgender people are understood, accepted, and celebrated for who they are.
What’s Next for the Transgender Community?
Despite the setbacks caused by the Trump administration and the broader political landscape, the transgender rights movement is not going anywhere. Advocates are committed to pushing forward, building solidarity, and expanding the public’s understanding of transgender issues. The long game is the focus: it’s about creating lasting change and securing equal rights for transgender Americans in every aspect of life.
As activists like Shelby Chestnut of the Transgender Law Center note, “It’s a very precarious time, but we have to step up and support each other.”
The road to equality is long, but the transgender community has shown time and again that they will continue to fight for their rights, and they will not be silenced.
