The same logic can apply to the US states. There are progressive states in the US such as Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York with safe havens for us trans people. I mean, Medicaid pays for my GAC in New York City, and I have yet to feel Trumpy, Dr. Oz, or RFK Jr. taking it away from me yet, so…
Europe doesn't have a trans-hostile federal government. The closest thing is the European Convention on Human Rights, but it's not under far-right control. I do still believe the right parts of Europe are safer than any US state.
While you’re right about Europe not having a far-right federal government (or equivalent in the EU for that matter), do you have any idea how trans-friendly NYC is? While you may bring up NYU Langone caving to Trump, the city council passed these laws in response: https://council.nyc.gov/press/2025/04/24/2853/
AFAIAC, NYC is a sanctuary city for us trans and NB peeps.
Have you been to the West Coast? All 3 are sanctuary states and have expanded coverage for surgeries(much more than is covered in the majority of European states).
I have not been to the West Coast, all I know about the situation in America is what I read in the media (mainly Erin's posts) and what friends tell me. I'm glad there's still places in America that are safer than I thought.
Let's do what we can to make sure they'll stay that way. You're in a better position to fight for this than I am, but I'm eager to help out in what ways I can.
Join the organisations that are already fighting for trans rights, like the Transgender Law Center. Volunteer for The Trevor Project. Attend the Hands Off protests, get in touch with fellow anti-Trump activists, get organised, build coalitions. Good idea.
But please do stop telling everyone there's nowhere safe to flee to. That's just not true. This map tells you precisely which countries are safer than the USA.
And it's not like we're not fighting for trans rights here in Europe, too.
right? If I'm going to have to fight for my life, I'm going to do it where I'm fluent in the majority language and have an intuitive understanding of the politics.
For far too long, we have depended on the medical community to come to our rescue with research and facts that prove that we are being victimized and discriminated against, against our wills and with cruel and inhumane intent, designed to set us within environments that refute our having human rights and protections.
The result is that we live in fear of our lives and common freedoms that most people enjoy.
Yet, the very medical communities who have defined our humanity, are all to silent and allow themselves to be overloaded by unscientific research and the testimony of people who are paid to refute their findings and deem us unfit of determining our own futures.
They cower in the face of politicians instead of fighting for what they know is responsible treatment that saves our lives.
If we are to have any future, then it’s time to gather and fight for it on our own, and stop depending on anyone to come to our assistance, because we now know that even though they and we know that we are right and the help we need, blatant hatred and discrimination will prevent it if we don’t unite and stop it. It will be everywhere if we don’t stop it now.
Trans rights in the Netherlands aren't specifically under attack like they are elsewhere, but attempts to expand them have met with heavy resistance. Notably a bill to let trans people change their legal name and gender without an expert statement, was briefly discussed in parliament with a lot of TERF nonsense being thrown about, then put on hold pending proper inquiry for like two years, and recently just straight-up dismissed without further discussion.
A report a while ago described trans acceptance in the Netherlands as 'stagnating'.
All in all, I feel the Netherlands are still safe, but we shouldn't get complacent.
We're going to have to yell very loud indeed to ensure that the rest of the world doesn't forget this bloody chapter of history, when the wave of hatred finally breaks- because the rest of the world 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 want to forget. The fence-sitters and collaborators won't want to own their guilt. It'll fall to us to 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 them of it.
Watching how quickly things have changed abroad and even at home in so called “sanctuary states” I’ve determined that moving doesn’t even help. (Unless you’re in TX or FL in which case GTFO!) I’m not going to uproot my life, lose my job, lose my house, leave all my friends and family for a country or “blue” state that’s just going to change its mind on if I’m a human or not tomorrow. I’d rather stay where I have the most support and resources and hope to god that the world gets its shit together in a few years.
I believe the reason there is an increase in antu-trans policies is because the GOP through their myriad of anti-trans bills, have been able to steer the narrative. The progressives should be introducing bills to protect intersex and trans people backed up with science but they haven't seemed to figure that out yet.
These laws being passed by the GOP didn't cause the backlash they are a result of it.
Many positive bills were passed before the backlash. For a time it became relatively simple to change legal documents or get medical treatment as a result. What changed is public perception. This isn't just politics. It's public relations. The trans community has been smeared in media so completely that the average person's idea of what a trans person is has started to become monstrous. Where we need to focus is on the level of individual hearts and minds. We won't get any political traction without it.
It's the reverse of what anti-trans groups did. They spent a decade constructing a public perception of transgender people that made us all seem deranged, ugly and disloyal to our families (the classic image of a father having a midlife crisis and succumbing to his crossdressing fetish). They've also worked to separate us from the gay community in the minds of heterosexuals so that a hetero person can still feel good about themselves for not being homophobic while also supporting hateful anti-transgender policies.
It is that shift in public perception which opened the door to these laws.
You have to fix the perception before you can fix the laws.
What changed, what opened the door to all this, is Donald fuckin' Trump. And the fascist takeover he and his queerphobic fundamentalist accomplices have been plotting. Project 2025.
Far-right fundamentalists are holding the levers of institutional power in Trump's America, and they don't want us to exist. And they've been spending obscene amounts of money on these smear campaigns, AND ALSO pushing through all these anti-trans bills.
Transphobia is top-down; it's not widely supported by voters. Some support it, some oppose it, most don't care and wish politicians would stop wasting time on it. Most Trump voters just thought he was going to improve the economy. (Ironically.)
Now you might think: but that doesn't explain what's happening in Europe! But actually, it does. Fascist leaders all over the world are working together, exchanging notes and supporting each other. And to them, Trump is an inspiring success story of how a brazen populist can just brute-force through all democratic checks and balances. Furthermore, a LOT of American fundamentalist dollars are being pumped into funding far-right populist movements in Europe. And many of them take a page out of Trump's book and make trans people one of their primary scapegoats.
Focusing on the level of individual hearts and minds -- I mean you're welcome to direct your efforts that way, it's better than nothing, and goodness knows we can use all the support we can get. But random citizens' opinions are not the root cause of this.
But we’re supposed to fantasize about moving to Europe? There is no fleeing it’s time to stand and fight.
Depends on where you go. Spain, Portugal, Greece, the Scandanavian countries, Belgium, Iceland, and Germany all look to be very pro-trans.
The UK not so much.
The same logic can apply to the US states. There are progressive states in the US such as Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, and New York with safe havens for us trans people. I mean, Medicaid pays for my GAC in New York City, and I have yet to feel Trumpy, Dr. Oz, or RFK Jr. taking it away from me yet, so…
Europe doesn't have a trans-hostile federal government. The closest thing is the European Convention on Human Rights, but it's not under far-right control. I do still believe the right parts of Europe are safer than any US state.
While you’re right about Europe not having a far-right federal government (or equivalent in the EU for that matter), do you have any idea how trans-friendly NYC is? While you may bring up NYU Langone caving to Trump, the city council passed these laws in response: https://council.nyc.gov/press/2025/04/24/2853/
AFAIAC, NYC is a sanctuary city for us trans and NB peeps.
Ah, good! I actually didn't have any idea how trans-friendly NYC is. I'm glad to hear that, that's wonderful.
🙂
Have you been to the West Coast? All 3 are sanctuary states and have expanded coverage for surgeries(much more than is covered in the majority of European states).
I have not been to the West Coast, all I know about the situation in America is what I read in the media (mainly Erin's posts) and what friends tell me. I'm glad there's still places in America that are safer than I thought.
Let's do what we can to make sure they'll stay that way. You're in a better position to fight for this than I am, but I'm eager to help out in what ways I can.
Yup. And in other states doctors are literally being criminalized for providing gender affirming care.
By all means, stand and fight if you can.
Join the organisations that are already fighting for trans rights, like the Transgender Law Center. Volunteer for The Trevor Project. Attend the Hands Off protests, get in touch with fellow anti-Trump activists, get organised, build coalitions. Good idea.
But please do stop telling everyone there's nowhere safe to flee to. That's just not true. This map tells you precisely which countries are safer than the USA.
And it's not like we're not fighting for trans rights here in Europe, too.
Well under that logic you should be fleeing Europe if you happen to be fighting for rights there as well.
You are being extremely unhelpful.
I'm here to help trans people. Are you? Can we work together?
right? If I'm going to have to fight for my life, I'm going to do it where I'm fluent in the majority language and have an intuitive understanding of the politics.
For far too long, we have depended on the medical community to come to our rescue with research and facts that prove that we are being victimized and discriminated against, against our wills and with cruel and inhumane intent, designed to set us within environments that refute our having human rights and protections.
The result is that we live in fear of our lives and common freedoms that most people enjoy.
Yet, the very medical communities who have defined our humanity, are all to silent and allow themselves to be overloaded by unscientific research and the testimony of people who are paid to refute their findings and deem us unfit of determining our own futures.
They cower in the face of politicians instead of fighting for what they know is responsible treatment that saves our lives.
If we are to have any future, then it’s time to gather and fight for it on our own, and stop depending on anyone to come to our assistance, because we now know that even though they and we know that we are right and the help we need, blatant hatred and discrimination will prevent it if we don’t unite and stop it. It will be everywhere if we don’t stop it now.
It’s bad everywhere, it’s just “which evil do you choose?”
It's NOT bad everywhere.
Um, what happened in the Netherlands?? It was very trans-friendly when I took my son there a couple of years ago. I hate this timeline so much.
Trans rights in the Netherlands aren't specifically under attack like they are elsewhere, but attempts to expand them have met with heavy resistance. Notably a bill to let trans people change their legal name and gender without an expert statement, was briefly discussed in parliament with a lot of TERF nonsense being thrown about, then put on hold pending proper inquiry for like two years, and recently just straight-up dismissed without further discussion.
A report a while ago described trans acceptance in the Netherlands as 'stagnating'.
All in all, I feel the Netherlands are still safe, but we shouldn't get complacent.
Someone else to hate.. Don’t people get tired?
We're going to have to yell very loud indeed to ensure that the rest of the world doesn't forget this bloody chapter of history, when the wave of hatred finally breaks- because the rest of the world 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 want to forget. The fence-sitters and collaborators won't want to own their guilt. It'll fall to us to 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 them of it.
Watching how quickly things have changed abroad and even at home in so called “sanctuary states” I’ve determined that moving doesn’t even help. (Unless you’re in TX or FL in which case GTFO!) I’m not going to uproot my life, lose my job, lose my house, leave all my friends and family for a country or “blue” state that’s just going to change its mind on if I’m a human or not tomorrow. I’d rather stay where I have the most support and resources and hope to god that the world gets its shit together in a few years.
I believe the reason there is an increase in antu-trans policies is because the GOP through their myriad of anti-trans bills, have been able to steer the narrative. The progressives should be introducing bills to protect intersex and trans people backed up with science but they haven't seemed to figure that out yet.
These laws being passed by the GOP didn't cause the backlash they are a result of it.
Many positive bills were passed before the backlash. For a time it became relatively simple to change legal documents or get medical treatment as a result. What changed is public perception. This isn't just politics. It's public relations. The trans community has been smeared in media so completely that the average person's idea of what a trans person is has started to become monstrous. Where we need to focus is on the level of individual hearts and minds. We won't get any political traction without it.
It's the reverse of what anti-trans groups did. They spent a decade constructing a public perception of transgender people that made us all seem deranged, ugly and disloyal to our families (the classic image of a father having a midlife crisis and succumbing to his crossdressing fetish). They've also worked to separate us from the gay community in the minds of heterosexuals so that a hetero person can still feel good about themselves for not being homophobic while also supporting hateful anti-transgender policies.
It is that shift in public perception which opened the door to these laws.
You have to fix the perception before you can fix the laws.
I'm going to disagree with you there, friend.
What changed, what opened the door to all this, is Donald fuckin' Trump. And the fascist takeover he and his queerphobic fundamentalist accomplices have been plotting. Project 2025.
Far-right fundamentalists are holding the levers of institutional power in Trump's America, and they don't want us to exist. And they've been spending obscene amounts of money on these smear campaigns, AND ALSO pushing through all these anti-trans bills.
Transphobia is top-down; it's not widely supported by voters. Some support it, some oppose it, most don't care and wish politicians would stop wasting time on it. Most Trump voters just thought he was going to improve the economy. (Ironically.)
Now you might think: but that doesn't explain what's happening in Europe! But actually, it does. Fascist leaders all over the world are working together, exchanging notes and supporting each other. And to them, Trump is an inspiring success story of how a brazen populist can just brute-force through all democratic checks and balances. Furthermore, a LOT of American fundamentalist dollars are being pumped into funding far-right populist movements in Europe. And many of them take a page out of Trump's book and make trans people one of their primary scapegoats.
Focusing on the level of individual hearts and minds -- I mean you're welcome to direct your efforts that way, it's better than nothing, and goodness knows we can use all the support we can get. But random citizens' opinions are not the root cause of this.