understanding the anti-trans movement through the prism of history

Originally written April 2023

As trans visibility increases, so too does widespread disinformation. I want to (re)share a few resources for being informed and active against anti-trans initiatives, especially if you are an ally/accomplice.

It is difficult to sit with my relative ease here on the West coast, surrounded by trans-affirming laws while knowing that many trans people don’t have the privilege or means to move away from places with increasingly violent policies. My medical care is challenging at times because of anti-trans bias and disability, but my medical providers aren’t being threatened or penalized for treating me.

When I grapple with attempts to tear trans children away from their affirming families, I understand that it is in the historical tradition, rooted in slavery and Jim Crow, of CPS targeting Black families.

When I struggle with the passage of anti-trans laws restricting restroom use, I understand that these attempts to annihilate us draw from the U.S. foundation of white supremacist capitalist imperialist patriarchy (bell hooks).  

When I am challenged by the gaslighting that blames trans people for our plights, I know this is connected to the narratives and threats targeted at houseless people.