Trans activism has gained national attention in recent years, sparking debate over transgender rights and representation. With approximately 2.3 million transgender adults in the USA (USAFacts.org), trans representation has grown immensely, but so has legislative backlash. While progress was made during Obama’s administration, such as The Affordable Care Act, recent policies have stripped away the trans community from their rights, putting transgender citizens at increased risk.
Instead of advancing the freedom of our country, new policies are destroying the years of effort queer citizens have protested for. Imbedding safety in all people should be the priority of our country, but with policies redefining the social construct of gender, hiding history and restricting bathrooms, trans voices are being diminished along with their rights.
It is wrong that young trans people, like junior Milo Wilson, are being restricted from identifying accurately. Over 300 thousand trans youth in the USA, like Wilson, are now put under unnecessary pressure in traveling as a transgender individual.
“I sit in the TSA line rehearsing what to say, because I know that I’ll forget, and I don’t want any adult traveling with me to get in trouble,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s concerns aren’t unwarranted and they reveal a larger problem. Government-issued identification now poses a serious threat for trans citizens, particularly Executive Order 14168, issued by President Donald Trump in January 2024.
The order mandates that “…government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex…” (whitehouse.gov). Despite many transgender citizens legally transitioning, they are now being forcibly misgendered by the government, making their daily life and travels even more difficult
The noxious impact of these new policies can be seen far beyond the trans community. Not only are trans individuals rising in concerns, but others are too. Ceramics teacher Tracie Gonzales, a cisgender woman, expressed a concern over how the policies will affect her friends, family, and the trans community.
“If their documents were changed legally and they went through the process and the fees [of transitioning]… they should not be changed back. These are things that [trans citizens] have worked for,” Gonzales said.
Resulting from inaccurate gender marks, accessibility to healthcare has become a maze for trans individuals. Healthcare is a right, and as legal documents are changed, unnecessary complexities are made.
The generational rollback on trans rights isn’t stopping at identification. Showcasing various landmarks such as the Stonewall Monument, The National Park Service has removed “T” from the term “LGBT” from their website, effectively discrediting the trans community’s contributions to queer history.
Led by trans and queer women of color, the Stonewall Uprising Protest wasn’t just a historical milestone, it was a rallying cry for necessary changes. By erasing the monument off the web, these revisions ignore figures such as Sylvia Rivera, a trans activist and the many trans women involved in the movement. The term “LGB” disregards the trans experience, along with their undeniable role in shaping LGBTQIA+ rights.
Followed by identification and historical erasure, new policies should not target transgender individuals’ access to public restrooms. More conservative lawmakers, such as Nancy Mace (R-SC), push the narrative that allowing all trans people, specifically trans women, to use the restroom aligning with their gender identity, endangers women.
While 91% of sexual assault victims are women, attributing this crisis to trans individuals is both harmful and damaging. As of 2018, there is no evidence that privacy and safety changed when transgender people were legally able to access restrooms according to UCLA Williams Institute. This false narrative diverts from the real issue— the sexual violence of women, while simultaneously placing undue blame among all trans individuals.
“If [men are] going to assault women, they’re going to assault women… wearing a suit, wearing a dress, it doesn’t matter what they’re wearing, [predators are] sick…” Gonzales said.
Restricting the usage of gender-affirming restrooms doesn’t protect women, but rather creates higher risk for trans individuals. Prior to restroom restraint, “Transgender people (16+) are victimized over four times more often than cisgender people,” (UCLA Williams Institute). Trans people aren’t the cause of male predators, they’re the victims of sexual assault. Without helping women or trans individuals, assault rates will only increase as our government enforces unsafe spaces.
Across the range of policies, these measures fail to provide safety for women while simultaneously undermining the rights of transgender individuals. Born from harmful narratives, these policies aren’t based on factual evidence, but ignorance and hatred. By erasing trans history, and legally misgendering transgender citizens, these policies do not address relevant concerns and only delegitimize the transgender experience.
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