The Emotional Exhaustion of an Anti-Trans Legislative Season

At the end of every day, I seem to say “oooh, that was a day.”

At the end of every week, I seem to say, “oooh, that was a week.”

But this week was a really, really bad week. A hard week. The trans community is under attack like never before in state after state after state.

More than 250 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in legislatures across the country. Half of those bills target the transgender community. Most target trans kids.

So far we’ve had eight of those bills signed into law, and there are another 10 sitting on the desks of governors waiting to be signed. This means 2021 will be the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation ever. In 2015, 15 bills were passed. We’ll have 18 officially passed soon, and there are still several weeks of the legislative sessions to go.

It isn’t just pain that folks are feeling because of this. It’s palpable fear. Fear of what has happened and of what is yet to come.

Anti-trans legislation is passing, but even where it dies in committee or on a legislative chamber’s floor, the damage is done.

Trans people are watching. Trans KIDS are watching. And the message has been received.

So I will say this…

Allies…WE NEED YOU. (Reminder that allyship is a verb.)

We need more people standing up, being bold and being loud. We need you to take the brunt of the hate.

I watched this week as trans kids…8 and 10 year old trans girls… were misgendered and heckled by adults when they tried to speak up for themselves in front of legislators who want to deny them basic rights. Those kids deserve better. They deserve to have champions coming to their defense and demanding that they be treated as full and equal human beings.

Be their champion.

Not a “riding in on a white horse to save the day” champion.

A “I believe in you and am here to have your back because you shouldn’t have to do this alone” champion.

Can you do that for the trans people in your life? Can you show up to testify that they are remarkable and don’t need cis elected officials to make decisions on their behalf? Can you show up to simply say that they are their own authority and don’t need gatekeepers?

That’s what it comes down to. Cis legislators have no right to make laws about a group of people they don’t know, often by choice. But because of cis privilege (and arrogance), they won’t hear that message from trans people. Cis allies, send that message yourselves. Tell your elected officials that they have no right to police trans bodies or to police how trans people interact with the world, be it in sports or in bathrooms.

Use your privilege to help those without it. I beg you.

Here are some things you can do:

The Human Rights Campaign is one of many organizations tracking this legislation. You can keep up with where this legislation is passing by following their page. Then look up the governors and other legislators in those states and call their offices to tell them to stop attacking trans kids.
Share this open letter to legislators from parents of trans and gender expansive youth. More than 1500 parents signed it and elected officials are taking notice. Several in key states have reached out, asking to speak to some of the families to better understand what’s at stake.
Call your Senators and tell them to pass the Equality Act.

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