Trans teachers fired. Trans inmates detransitioned. Adult care banned. Allies killed. We are entering into a new phase of anti-trans politics, and eradication is the goal.
Many things aren’t deeply rooted in our history... some may even argue that since Native Americans were here long before the first colonization effort, their Christian religion is not deeply rooted either.
Well see that’s where racism takes over. White Europeans “tamed the barbarians in the new world”. So anything before our colonialization doesn’t count. And you KNOW that they would say something to the effect.
We can’t even get our government to acknowledge the first nations genocide.
Yeah I was thinking about this. Doesn't that mean that a state could theoretically pass and uphold bigoted medical gatekeeping laws under that logic? Like the same logic would apply if, let's say, Alabama, passed a law to ban insulin from everybody but white people. "The equal protection clause doesn't apply because administering insulin is not deeply rooted in this nation's history"...
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...when was it decided that transgender people were not eligible for these concepts deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions?
“Though these may be efforts to erase us, one truth stands firm: we are part of what it means to be human, and eradication is a futile pursuit. Even if every last one of us was removed from this Earth, we would still be here, born anew to every generation.”
At this point I’m pretty much done taking any solace or comfort in lower court rulings - right-wing zealots are just going to keep pushing and appealing until they get the higher-court rulings that they want, as in the 11th circuit. It’s pretty much like the analogy of the frog trying to escape a deep well, climbing one foot during the day and then sliding back two feet at night. It’s so sad that the country has essentially decided that basic human rights are expendable and subject to the ideologies and whims of courts and election cycles. I don’t think the outlook is good at the Supreme Court - gender-affirming care will probably fail there in a 5-4 or 6-3 ruling, with Dobbs as the blueprint. That leaves the matter up to the states, unless national bans get passed.
As Erin notes, the situation is very bad. The root etiology of the current conflagration can be traced back mainly to a set of somewhat interconnected events that occurred in quick succession in 2015-16: the SCOTUS Obergefell ruling, the NC bathroom bill.a series of high-profile media exposures for trans people, ever-widening economic disparities, and of course the results of the 2016 elections. The sociological etiologies are complex, but the bottom line is that these events started the process of conservatives needing a scapegoat, and then making trans people the new victims of the schoolyard bullies - with legislators going along, and the lay public raising fewer and fewer objections to it. I don’t know the answer as to whether greater prescience and a sense of danger on the part of trans people during 2015-16 might have forestalled the current situation, as opposed to the misguided sense of relief and progress that prevailed right after Obergefell. But I worry that it may be too late now to turn things around, especially if the 2024 elections are unfavorable.
This should be required reading. I have friends who think I am Chicken Little. The sky will fall on them. If 2024 turns out badly, there will be no sanctuary states. Best case scenarios in red states don't look that great either. After Dobbs, how does anyone think the Supreme Court will come down on this? Thank you Erin for your clear and sobering assessment.
I really feel for you to have to report this, Erin. I have to take it in small doses, but you don't get that luxury. Just know I'm another fighter here doing the best I can for our community. I never quit and together as a community we will see it through with all our allies. Sending love.
Check to make sure you are registered to vote . If you are not registered , register now . Find out where your local polling place is and what hours it will be open . Make plans to vote in person . Considering almost half those Americans eligible to vote don’t . The votes of Trans Americans their affirming family members , friends and Allies in deed , are a winning margin in a national election not mention for local races like school board and justice of peace . We have it in our power :) ! ❤️
Erin, this substack post of yours convinced me to donate to a transgender person fleeing Florida (Here's the link in case you want it: https://gofund.me/ad2c2b2a). It would be an absolute blight on my conscience if I didn't do anything to help trans people flee genocide…
Medications deeply rooted in our history and tradition. That would eliminate innumerable medications. Cancer fighting drugs, antibiotics, etc. are all relatively recent including viagra, which if eliminated, would cause a great deal of angst with much of the older conservative population. Unless and until the courts stop this attempt to erase us or penalties be exerted by a relatively silent majority eg eliminating every medical conference in every state with an anti trans agenda and maybe sporting events as well, we will continue to be threatened by this hate. 👩🏼⚕️🏳️⚧️💕
No, no, no--this will not be applied across the board, evenly or equally or with any sort of fairness. They will pick and choose which things to disallow. (See comment above--e.g. “insulin only for white people”) And if you can throw every woman and girl under the bus in their rights to medical care, who is going to fuss over “a few” transgender people?!!?
I cannot tolerate the intolerable. Transgender rights are the only thing that can save our failing democracy, if the Supreme Court hasn't completely lost the plot. This is the big test.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: WHO IS NEXT? Autistic kids? Diabetic kids? Because as we all know: Republicans THRIVE on hatred on a specific group: Black people, Immigrants, Gay people, Transgender people, Women who want bodily autonomy; so just pick a group. I’m putting $500 on Autistic people next, and then $500 on Atheists. They HAVE to have someone to pour their hatred on so they can jerk off at night.
There’s literally zero redeeming qualities for Republicans anymore. Even well known parents of transgender folks still support fellow Republicans; it’s frankly SICKENING (Think Rod-Lethinen 🤬🤬🤬)
I feel threatened by the GOP. For everything I believe in. They are attacking global warming,voting rights, schools , abortion rights but this war on trans people is insane. I try to be optimistic but I don’t think it’s possible.
“deeply rooted in this nation’s history and traditions," a rationale echoing the Dobbs anti-abortion decision.”
Then end all medicine. NONE OF IT IS “deeply rooted in this nations history and traditions.”
Need that cancer treatment? Tough. It’s not deeply rooted or traditional enough.
Need that toe amputated due to diabetes or he’ll need insulin? Fuck you it’s not traditional enough.
The government wants us DEAD. End of story.
Exactly. This will consume far more than just us if allowed to fester.
Many things aren’t deeply rooted in our history... some may even argue that since Native Americans were here long before the first colonization effort, their Christian religion is not deeply rooted either.
Well see that’s where racism takes over. White Europeans “tamed the barbarians in the new world”. So anything before our colonialization doesn’t count. And you KNOW that they would say something to the effect.
We can’t even get our government to acknowledge the first nations genocide.
The funny part about their revisionist history is that our constitution was as heavily influenced by a native tribes constitution. https://www.history.com/news/iroquois-confederacy-influence-us-constitution
Slavery was deeply rooted for a hot minute. Wonder if they’ll point to this to attempt to bring it all back.
Well they did pass a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery.
There is a loophole in the 13th amendment allowing for slavery for prisoners (and boy was that loophole exploited!).
Don't give the Transmisic Eliminationists any ideas!
Yeah I was thinking about this. Doesn't that mean that a state could theoretically pass and uphold bigoted medical gatekeeping laws under that logic? Like the same logic would apply if, let's say, Alabama, passed a law to ban insulin from everybody but white people. "The equal protection clause doesn't apply because administering insulin is not deeply rooted in this nation's history"...
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...when was it decided that transgender people were not eligible for these concepts deeply rooted in this nation's history and traditions?
“Though these may be efforts to erase us, one truth stands firm: we are part of what it means to be human, and eradication is a futile pursuit. Even if every last one of us was removed from this Earth, we would still be here, born anew to every generation.”
Beautifully written.
At this point I’m pretty much done taking any solace or comfort in lower court rulings - right-wing zealots are just going to keep pushing and appealing until they get the higher-court rulings that they want, as in the 11th circuit. It’s pretty much like the analogy of the frog trying to escape a deep well, climbing one foot during the day and then sliding back two feet at night. It’s so sad that the country has essentially decided that basic human rights are expendable and subject to the ideologies and whims of courts and election cycles. I don’t think the outlook is good at the Supreme Court - gender-affirming care will probably fail there in a 5-4 or 6-3 ruling, with Dobbs as the blueprint. That leaves the matter up to the states, unless national bans get passed.
As Erin notes, the situation is very bad. The root etiology of the current conflagration can be traced back mainly to a set of somewhat interconnected events that occurred in quick succession in 2015-16: the SCOTUS Obergefell ruling, the NC bathroom bill.a series of high-profile media exposures for trans people, ever-widening economic disparities, and of course the results of the 2016 elections. The sociological etiologies are complex, but the bottom line is that these events started the process of conservatives needing a scapegoat, and then making trans people the new victims of the schoolyard bullies - with legislators going along, and the lay public raising fewer and fewer objections to it. I don’t know the answer as to whether greater prescience and a sense of danger on the part of trans people during 2015-16 might have forestalled the current situation, as opposed to the misguided sense of relief and progress that prevailed right after Obergefell. But I worry that it may be too late now to turn things around, especially if the 2024 elections are unfavorable.
This is nonsensical logic. It would mean the end of all research and modern medicine as we know it.
This should be required reading. I have friends who think I am Chicken Little. The sky will fall on them. If 2024 turns out badly, there will be no sanctuary states. Best case scenarios in red states don't look that great either. After Dobbs, how does anyone think the Supreme Court will come down on this? Thank you Erin for your clear and sobering assessment.
I really feel for you to have to report this, Erin. I have to take it in small doses, but you don't get that luxury. Just know I'm another fighter here doing the best I can for our community. I never quit and together as a community we will see it through with all our allies. Sending love.
We truly are engraved into humanity. They can't get rid of something that's been with humans since early civilization.
I hope everyone stays active and supportive of one another. This is a nasty storm of hatred. But we'll still be here.
I'm going to fight for myself, and young trans men out there who all deserve the opportunity to live authentically.
Check to make sure you are registered to vote . If you are not registered , register now . Find out where your local polling place is and what hours it will be open . Make plans to vote in person . Considering almost half those Americans eligible to vote don’t . The votes of Trans Americans their affirming family members , friends and Allies in deed , are a winning margin in a national election not mention for local races like school board and justice of peace . We have it in our power :) ! ❤️
F-ing depressing. Thank you Erin. I don’t know how you have the strength for this, but you are so appreciated.
Erin, this substack post of yours convinced me to donate to a transgender person fleeing Florida (Here's the link in case you want it: https://gofund.me/ad2c2b2a). It would be an absolute blight on my conscience if I didn't do anything to help trans people flee genocide…
Medications deeply rooted in our history and tradition. That would eliminate innumerable medications. Cancer fighting drugs, antibiotics, etc. are all relatively recent including viagra, which if eliminated, would cause a great deal of angst with much of the older conservative population. Unless and until the courts stop this attempt to erase us or penalties be exerted by a relatively silent majority eg eliminating every medical conference in every state with an anti trans agenda and maybe sporting events as well, we will continue to be threatened by this hate. 👩🏼⚕️🏳️⚧️💕
No, no, no--this will not be applied across the board, evenly or equally or with any sort of fairness. They will pick and choose which things to disallow. (See comment above--e.g. “insulin only for white people”) And if you can throw every woman and girl under the bus in their rights to medical care, who is going to fuss over “a few” transgender people?!!?
I cannot tolerate the intolerable. Transgender rights are the only thing that can save our failing democracy, if the Supreme Court hasn't completely lost the plot. This is the big test.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: WHO IS NEXT? Autistic kids? Diabetic kids? Because as we all know: Republicans THRIVE on hatred on a specific group: Black people, Immigrants, Gay people, Transgender people, Women who want bodily autonomy; so just pick a group. I’m putting $500 on Autistic people next, and then $500 on Atheists. They HAVE to have someone to pour their hatred on so they can jerk off at night.
There’s literally zero redeeming qualities for Republicans anymore. Even well known parents of transgender folks still support fellow Republicans; it’s frankly SICKENING (Think Rod-Lethinen 🤬🤬🤬)
I feel threatened by the GOP. For everything I believe in. They are attacking global warming,voting rights, schools , abortion rights but this war on trans people is insane. I try to be optimistic but I don’t think it’s possible.
Solid and alarming article! Parents - time to make our stand with strong advocacy and outward actions defending our kids!