Despite everything they did, it feels like the window for complete erasure has passed. It feels like the pendulum swing to the right is slowing down. Excited to see what the future holds on the swing back.
Plainly, the Social Conservatives were willing to personally take a very direct stab at it, or, look the other way while others did. I am very very glad the genocide table has for them and us, never gotten to the point of organized mass murder -- every other stage of genocide is underway in parallel but that one.
I'm saying it was never an option because it's impossible. Even if they managed to eradicate every single trans adult on the planet (which is something they don't have the power to do anyway) we'd be back in 20 years.
I acknowledge the elimination from the human gene pool, of those genes which have commonly occurring variants -- the more of which ones you have raise the odds someone will be transgender -- is feasible with current technology but not politically possible. I submit only that would be "complete erasure", and with the variability of genetics presumed, temporary. However, forcing all transitioned people to detransition or be imprisoned without trial for life, or be killed or leave, while prohibiting transition into the future for all youth and adults, is conceivable if this administration and it's ideological founders retain power.
I am certain they will not, the question is how much damage they will achieve before they are thrown out -- and -- will we achieve the necessary prosecution of those most responsible for engineering, funding, and carrying out the propaganda campaign and enacting the laws and policies against transgender peopleunder 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 18 U.S.C. § 241, & 18 U.S.C. § 242.
What you pejoratively call "medicalist" -- because you have no factual counterargument -- is what is physically measured. As a first order matter of things, what is measured "counts" more than anything. The same as I demand of the most bigoted 'phobes, you should grow up and accept it with emotional maturity. Now, as your whims and prejudices dictate, please instead go ahead and disappoint me as they do.
As an ally I feel gifted to find this group. I consistently search for a group of allies to connect with to works towards creating change. I will never ever come close to experiencing the impact the intrusive conservatives seem to be focused on. My heart breaks with every dart being thrown towards the trans families. This New Year my goal is to spend time volunteering to create change by working to get candidates elected that will move us forward with love. My attention will focus on school boards and community leaders. I have fallen in love with this group and value that Erin has provided a safe place for us to support, vent, and share. I do go into the New Year with hope.
I want to frame this article and put it on my wall. This part especially:
"even with so many levers of power turned against us, we are still here. We are still finding care. We are still finding one another. We are still surviving. That persistence—the simple fact that we have not been erased—is what gives me hope for the future"
Early on in 2025, I came to a two-point strategy for living through Trumpworld: (1) live my current life (which focuses on helping people blossom) as best I could, and (2) take in only as much news as I needed. Erin's made (2) happen as much as any other medium, and now, with the quote above, she validated my (1) strategy as well: still-being-here as a work of resistance in itself. Thank you, Erin and S. Baum and everyone else who's contributed in this space.
Thank you, Erin, for this succinct, comprehensive, and empowering end-of-year summary of where we are.
I could not agree more with your analysis. From what I'm seeing in DC, the MAGA fever dream is on the wane as the incompetence, contradictions, and corruption of Trump and his lackeys become more apparent every day to the MTGs and Ben Shapiros of the conservative movement. And yet we must continue the fight, for generations, if necessary.
I'm sorry but I cannot be optimistic . . . not yet anyway . . . bigots and bigotry rarely give up and go away, at least not quietly. In the meantime people will get hurt, some may die, others may just give up and sink into a depressed sort of assimilation. Every time we do a piece such as this to evince positivity we forget or gloss over the fact real people will, and are getting hurt. We minimize how those of us who transitioned years ago--35+ in my case--with much sacrifice and pain are now being set back and likely will not see the day when we return to even a modicum of what we had. I'm 70 now and am facing the fact that I will doubtfully ever recover the joy i'd found . . .
Erin, thank you for the essay and the ability to offer a modicum of hope. This was indeed a brutal year, with all the setbacks.
Going forward, I’d say the key is going to be the protective blue states - will they continue to maintain and enforce their protections, especially for health care and IDs. Given the current anti-trans hostility of the federal gov’t, the state protections are all there really is right now. It has not been good to see some of these states capitulating to anti-trans fervor, especially on health care. The other key is going to continue to fight to reverse the passport marker ban - this is the single most important federal document, and misgendering people on that is devastating to their dignity and safely. It must be reversed, and the previous policy reinstated, as soon as possible. Erin- and all journalists - please keep that issue on the radar screen; the current ban must not be allowed to become status quo and by default accepted.
While I agree that there will always be hope and that no national band have been established as yet I’m afraid that 2026 will be a tougher year than 2025. In 2026 there will be a faster advance of what we have seen this year. The bigots, racists, extreme right wing and religious zealots will not be giving up so we must stay alert and be prepared to act and respond to what comes
Thank you Erin for this much needed perspective. I’m a Jewish Israeli American mom of a beloved trans son who came out at 12 and transitioned as a teen. (He's now working towards his doctorate in clinical psychology and volunteers as a facilitator for trans youth.) Your words resonated deeply with me, as “we’re still here” echoes what your Jewish siblings have been shouting for millennia of efforts to wipe us out: “am Israel chai” which just means “the people of Israel live.” Survival may sound like a low bar to the privileged, but for better or worse, we get it. I've always found our struggles and triumphs to be linked. Jews and trans people have been vilified and scapegoated forever — and especially now — but we have humanity, truth and justice on our sides, no matter the fear and hate-mongering. Indeed this dark time is bringing trans people and allies together and I know we will ultimately prevail over the forces that try to destroy and divide us — from the usual suspects to those who purport to be progressives but whose actual values are farm from it. Please keep up the excellent journalism. Leaders like you give us the hope, courage and knowledge to keep fighting for what's right.
I think the thing that gives me hope is knowing that we really do have allies who are willing to help. We don't have to stand alone. There are those who stand with us and fight with us. When I was feeling discouraged and ready to give up ever getting my Utah birth certificate updated, a cis friend connected me with a law firm who worked pro bono with me to pioneer a process to correct it. It took them two court cases because we lost the first one. But they didn't give up, believed their cause was just, and tried again with a different approach that ultimately proved successful. And now I hold a corrected Utah birth certificate in my hands after two years of trying and now the firm knows exactly how to help others that find themselves in the unique circumstances I was in. Persistence is key indeed and that's why we will all win in the end.
Would EITM consider hosting occasional action 'power hours' in 2026? The HHS moves so clearly threat cis too because the same mechanism could force national abortion or contraception bans. It would be great if we could get together to write op/eds, reach out to 'adjacently/next-in-line affected' advocacy orgs (like pro-choice groups), or submit comments on proposed federal rules. Our needs far outstrip what professional trans advocates and organizations can address, but readers can help if we have guidance.
What you get at there I think is crucial, the "adjacently/next-in-line affected."
The connection between trans rights and reproductive rights, abortion rights, ALL LGBTQI+ rights needs to be better grasped and put into practice politically, strategically, operationally, rhetorically. They are are ALL about bodily autonomy in the same way, and are being fought by the same people, for the same reasons. That's what they mean by "gender ideology." And it includes all genres of feminism. Gender ideology = antipatriarchal. Trans rights, sexuality rights, abortion rights, reproductive rights — all joined at the groin.
100%%%%%%%% I know belonging to a demographic doesn't translate over into any particular belief system, and I know our society at present really discourages seeing connections, but I would love to see a swell of trans people writing op/eds on this precisely because so many (cis, and trans and NB) people don't see the connection! Also, I believe it takes a groundswell of submissions essentially saying the same thing for an op/ed expressing an "unconventional" belief to get published. Bias is real and badly written op/eds expressing 'dominant' beliefs get published over better-written pieces expressing that which people do not want to acknowledge.
If you want to join up sometime to write or submit, feel free to message me (I think you can DM me in substack?)
As an ally, I'm grateful for your coverage. I am worried that the Senate Democrats will not fight against the ban on care for youth when it comes up next year. The quisling Dem leadership may be too afraid of right wing candidates using a pro-trans-rights vote against them in the midterms. I just am not sure I can envision Schumer invoking the filibuster to protect trans people. I hope I am wrong. I continue to contact my reps about this, for what good that may do.
Unfortunately, my rep is Marie Glusenkamp-Perez. She is not interested in what progressive Dems think. She mainly votes with Republicans. It was interesting that she chose not to vote on the trans youth ban. I think that was the closest she could come to supporting trans people.
I’m in Suzanne DelBene’s district so have been lucky in her support. I think Glusemkamp-Perez is lucky to keep her seat in a red meat district. But if more of her constituents keep contacting her that may turn her…she seems attuned to the slightest political winds that could threaten her seat, and if those winds shift enough she may as well, fingers crossed.
She won the last two elections because her opponent was Joe Kent, whom voters correctly perceived as a carpetbagger and an extremist. That's how she got independent and "moderate" R votes. But now she's running against state senator John Braun, a native Washingtonian who (at least till MAGA) was a pretty routine pro-biz R. The independents and moderate Rs will not see him as a threat. So MGP needs her D base more than ever - yet so far she continues to ignore us. When our local county D organization's chair invited her to speak, the staffer told him she was too busy. Instead of courting the voters who might phone bank and door-knock for her, she's working hard to distance herself from the party - she made a big splash last month saying that the Democratic party needed to change, not her. (It does need to change, but not in the direction she is demanding.) She deserves to lose, and I expect that she will - if she does manage to squeak back in, she will probably pull a Sinema and leave the party. I think her ultimate goal is a career as a lobbyist after she locks in her congressional pension-for-life. Either way, it's unfortunate in terms of Ds getting control of Congress back, but in local terms, we can try to run a better Dem against Braun in 2028, assuming we have elections in 2028. Sorry, I'm a pessimist, I guess.
That’s very sad…but an old story of politicians just out for themselves. Would be bad to lose the Dem seat but you are probably right in your assessment.
LOL good to know! I feel very lucky to have the firm support of our reps in Congress. But we can’t be complacent so still push on them to do the right thing and support my trans family members who have been traumatized by all the bigotry.
1. I talked with a transmasc enby at my local LGBT center and they made the point that whereas four years ago the bigots called us pedophiles, now the bigots call us violent. I see that as a sign the bigots are losing because the bigots have been exposed as the pedophiles, and now it’s shown to be projection.
2. Zohran Mamdani was on the front lines protesting when NYU Langone caved to Trumpy’s EO banning trans youth care. Now he’s going to be our mayor tomorrow and I’m beyond ecstatic!
Despite everything they did, it feels like the window for complete erasure has passed. It feels like the pendulum swing to the right is slowing down. Excited to see what the future holds on the swing back.
Complete erasure was never an option.
Plainly, the Social Conservatives were willing to personally take a very direct stab at it, or, look the other way while others did. I am very very glad the genocide table has for them and us, never gotten to the point of organized mass murder -- every other stage of genocide is underway in parallel but that one.
I'm saying it was never an option because it's impossible. Even if they managed to eradicate every single trans adult on the planet (which is something they don't have the power to do anyway) we'd be back in 20 years.
I acknowledge the elimination from the human gene pool, of those genes which have commonly occurring variants -- the more of which ones you have raise the odds someone will be transgender -- is feasible with current technology but not politically possible. I submit only that would be "complete erasure", and with the variability of genetics presumed, temporary. However, forcing all transitioned people to detransition or be imprisoned without trial for life, or be killed or leave, while prohibiting transition into the future for all youth and adults, is conceivable if this administration and it's ideological founders retain power.
I am certain they will not, the question is how much damage they will achieve before they are thrown out -- and -- will we achieve the necessary prosecution of those most responsible for engineering, funding, and carrying out the propaganda campaign and enacting the laws and policies against transgender peopleunder 42 U.S.C. § 1983, 18 U.S.C. § 241, & 18 U.S.C. § 242.
those genes among others being AR, ESR1, ESR2, CYP19A1, CYP17A1, CYP11A1, CYP21A2, HSD17B3, HSD17B6, HSD17B10, HSD3B2, AKR1C2, AKR1C4, NR3C4, NR5A1, NR0B1, SHBG, SULT1E1, COMT, MAOA, MAOB, SRD5A2, FOXL2, SOX9, DMRT1, WT1, RSPO1, WNT4, FGF8, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, FGFR4, GNRH1, GNRHR, LH, LHCGR, FSHB, FSHR, AMH, AMHR2, DHH, NCOA1, NCOA2, NCOA3, NCOR1, NCOR2, CREBBP, EP300, GABRA2, GABRA3, GABRB2, GABRB3, GABRG2, GABRG3, SLC6A4, OXTR, AVPR1A, STAT3, STAT5A, STAT5B, MAPK1, MAPK3, PIK3CA, PTEN, RHOA, ROCK1, IGF1, IGF1R, ZBTB16, GATA4, ZFPM2, TSHR, NEGR1, CYP2D6
That's putting a lot of stock into genes being responsible for queer people which is medicalist hooey if you ask me.
What you pejoratively call "medicalist" -- because you have no factual counterargument -- is what is physically measured. As a first order matter of things, what is measured "counts" more than anything. The same as I demand of the most bigoted 'phobes, you should grow up and accept it with emotional maturity. Now, as your whims and prejudices dictate, please instead go ahead and disappoint me as they do.
Saying that there is a biological basis to being queer or transgender is reality, not medicalist hooey. You sound like a science denier.
Where do you think being transgender comes from, if not variences in the brain? Oh wait, you probably think it's a lifestyle choice.
No, I did not choose to be transgender.
Absolutely love this piece as a close to 2025. Thank you Erin for your work and much love everyone here persisting.
As an ally I feel gifted to find this group. I consistently search for a group of allies to connect with to works towards creating change. I will never ever come close to experiencing the impact the intrusive conservatives seem to be focused on. My heart breaks with every dart being thrown towards the trans families. This New Year my goal is to spend time volunteering to create change by working to get candidates elected that will move us forward with love. My attention will focus on school boards and community leaders. I have fallen in love with this group and value that Erin has provided a safe place for us to support, vent, and share. I do go into the New Year with hope.
I want to frame this article and put it on my wall. This part especially:
"even with so many levers of power turned against us, we are still here. We are still finding care. We are still finding one another. We are still surviving. That persistence—the simple fact that we have not been erased—is what gives me hope for the future"
Early on in 2025, I came to a two-point strategy for living through Trumpworld: (1) live my current life (which focuses on helping people blossom) as best I could, and (2) take in only as much news as I needed. Erin's made (2) happen as much as any other medium, and now, with the quote above, she validated my (1) strategy as well: still-being-here as a work of resistance in itself. Thank you, Erin and S. Baum and everyone else who's contributed in this space.
Thank you, Erin, for this succinct, comprehensive, and empowering end-of-year summary of where we are.
I could not agree more with your analysis. From what I'm seeing in DC, the MAGA fever dream is on the wane as the incompetence, contradictions, and corruption of Trump and his lackeys become more apparent every day to the MTGs and Ben Shapiros of the conservative movement. And yet we must continue the fight, for generations, if necessary.
Keep up the great work, and all the best in 2026.
Indeed I am glad of EITM.
I'm sorry but I cannot be optimistic . . . not yet anyway . . . bigots and bigotry rarely give up and go away, at least not quietly. In the meantime people will get hurt, some may die, others may just give up and sink into a depressed sort of assimilation. Every time we do a piece such as this to evince positivity we forget or gloss over the fact real people will, and are getting hurt. We minimize how those of us who transitioned years ago--35+ in my case--with much sacrifice and pain are now being set back and likely will not see the day when we return to even a modicum of what we had. I'm 70 now and am facing the fact that I will doubtfully ever recover the joy i'd found . . .
Erin, thank you for the essay and the ability to offer a modicum of hope. This was indeed a brutal year, with all the setbacks.
Going forward, I’d say the key is going to be the protective blue states - will they continue to maintain and enforce their protections, especially for health care and IDs. Given the current anti-trans hostility of the federal gov’t, the state protections are all there really is right now. It has not been good to see some of these states capitulating to anti-trans fervor, especially on health care. The other key is going to continue to fight to reverse the passport marker ban - this is the single most important federal document, and misgendering people on that is devastating to their dignity and safely. It must be reversed, and the previous policy reinstated, as soon as possible. Erin- and all journalists - please keep that issue on the radar screen; the current ban must not be allowed to become status quo and by default accepted.
While I agree that there will always be hope and that no national band have been established as yet I’m afraid that 2026 will be a tougher year than 2025. In 2026 there will be a faster advance of what we have seen this year. The bigots, racists, extreme right wing and religious zealots will not be giving up so we must stay alert and be prepared to act and respond to what comes
Thank you Erin for this much needed perspective. I’m a Jewish Israeli American mom of a beloved trans son who came out at 12 and transitioned as a teen. (He's now working towards his doctorate in clinical psychology and volunteers as a facilitator for trans youth.) Your words resonated deeply with me, as “we’re still here” echoes what your Jewish siblings have been shouting for millennia of efforts to wipe us out: “am Israel chai” which just means “the people of Israel live.” Survival may sound like a low bar to the privileged, but for better or worse, we get it. I've always found our struggles and triumphs to be linked. Jews and trans people have been vilified and scapegoated forever — and especially now — but we have humanity, truth and justice on our sides, no matter the fear and hate-mongering. Indeed this dark time is bringing trans people and allies together and I know we will ultimately prevail over the forces that try to destroy and divide us — from the usual suspects to those who purport to be progressives but whose actual values are farm from it. Please keep up the excellent journalism. Leaders like you give us the hope, courage and knowledge to keep fighting for what's right.
Keep up the good work, and have a Happy New Year!
Thank you for all you do every day and for this essay filled with hope.
I think the thing that gives me hope is knowing that we really do have allies who are willing to help. We don't have to stand alone. There are those who stand with us and fight with us. When I was feeling discouraged and ready to give up ever getting my Utah birth certificate updated, a cis friend connected me with a law firm who worked pro bono with me to pioneer a process to correct it. It took them two court cases because we lost the first one. But they didn't give up, believed their cause was just, and tried again with a different approach that ultimately proved successful. And now I hold a corrected Utah birth certificate in my hands after two years of trying and now the firm knows exactly how to help others that find themselves in the unique circumstances I was in. Persistence is key indeed and that's why we will all win in the end.
Would EITM consider hosting occasional action 'power hours' in 2026? The HHS moves so clearly threat cis too because the same mechanism could force national abortion or contraception bans. It would be great if we could get together to write op/eds, reach out to 'adjacently/next-in-line affected' advocacy orgs (like pro-choice groups), or submit comments on proposed federal rules. Our needs far outstrip what professional trans advocates and organizations can address, but readers can help if we have guidance.
What you get at there I think is crucial, the "adjacently/next-in-line affected."
The connection between trans rights and reproductive rights, abortion rights, ALL LGBTQI+ rights needs to be better grasped and put into practice politically, strategically, operationally, rhetorically. They are are ALL about bodily autonomy in the same way, and are being fought by the same people, for the same reasons. That's what they mean by "gender ideology." And it includes all genres of feminism. Gender ideology = antipatriarchal. Trans rights, sexuality rights, abortion rights, reproductive rights — all joined at the groin.
Trans rights are cis rights.
100%%%%%%%% I know belonging to a demographic doesn't translate over into any particular belief system, and I know our society at present really discourages seeing connections, but I would love to see a swell of trans people writing op/eds on this precisely because so many (cis, and trans and NB) people don't see the connection! Also, I believe it takes a groundswell of submissions essentially saying the same thing for an op/ed expressing an "unconventional" belief to get published. Bias is real and badly written op/eds expressing 'dominant' beliefs get published over better-written pieces expressing that which people do not want to acknowledge.
If you want to join up sometime to write or submit, feel free to message me (I think you can DM me in substack?)
As an ally, I'm grateful for your coverage. I am worried that the Senate Democrats will not fight against the ban on care for youth when it comes up next year. The quisling Dem leadership may be too afraid of right wing candidates using a pro-trans-rights vote against them in the midterms. I just am not sure I can envision Schumer invoking the filibuster to protect trans people. I hope I am wrong. I continue to contact my reps about this, for what good that may do.
It does a lot of good! Reps do listen to phone calls above all other media according to my local indivisible chapter leaders.
Unfortunately, my rep is Marie Glusenkamp-Perez. She is not interested in what progressive Dems think. She mainly votes with Republicans. It was interesting that she chose not to vote on the trans youth ban. I think that was the closest she could come to supporting trans people.
I’m in Suzanne DelBene’s district so have been lucky in her support. I think Glusemkamp-Perez is lucky to keep her seat in a red meat district. But if more of her constituents keep contacting her that may turn her…she seems attuned to the slightest political winds that could threaten her seat, and if those winds shift enough she may as well, fingers crossed.
She won the last two elections because her opponent was Joe Kent, whom voters correctly perceived as a carpetbagger and an extremist. That's how she got independent and "moderate" R votes. But now she's running against state senator John Braun, a native Washingtonian who (at least till MAGA) was a pretty routine pro-biz R. The independents and moderate Rs will not see him as a threat. So MGP needs her D base more than ever - yet so far she continues to ignore us. When our local county D organization's chair invited her to speak, the staffer told him she was too busy. Instead of courting the voters who might phone bank and door-knock for her, she's working hard to distance herself from the party - she made a big splash last month saying that the Democratic party needed to change, not her. (It does need to change, but not in the direction she is demanding.) She deserves to lose, and I expect that she will - if she does manage to squeak back in, she will probably pull a Sinema and leave the party. I think her ultimate goal is a career as a lobbyist after she locks in her congressional pension-for-life. Either way, it's unfortunate in terms of Ds getting control of Congress back, but in local terms, we can try to run a better Dem against Braun in 2028, assuming we have elections in 2028. Sorry, I'm a pessimist, I guess.
That’s very sad…but an old story of politicians just out for themselves. Would be bad to lose the Dem seat but you are probably right in your assessment.
Hi neighbor! I'm also in DelBene's district.
LOL good to know! I feel very lucky to have the firm support of our reps in Congress. But we can’t be complacent so still push on them to do the right thing and support my trans family members who have been traumatized by all the bigotry.
I agree
Here’s two glimmers of hope:
1. I talked with a transmasc enby at my local LGBT center and they made the point that whereas four years ago the bigots called us pedophiles, now the bigots call us violent. I see that as a sign the bigots are losing because the bigots have been exposed as the pedophiles, and now it’s shown to be projection.
2. Zohran Mamdani was on the front lines protesting when NYU Langone caved to Trumpy’s EO banning trans youth care. Now he’s going to be our mayor tomorrow and I’m beyond ecstatic!
Thank you for being with us another year, Erin. So much love to you and folx in this chat. Here's to a happy new year 🫶🏻💖🏳️⚧️