With the 2024 US presidential election approaching, there’s a growing worry about the rights and safety of transgender individuals. Conservative lawmakers, instead of advancing equality and personal safety, have increasingly made transgender issues a focal point, as they try to reduce and restrict these rights (and often succeed).
Tragically, this issue and surrounding behavior persists. A perfect example? On Sept. 30, the inaugural NTD Global Chinese Beauty Pageant’s grand finale and coronation ceremony took place at the SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center. Cynthia Sun from Texas was crowned Miss NTD, with 11 other young women receiving titles. The pageant is sponsored by NTD (New Tang Dynasty), a New York-based TV station with links to the Falun Gong, and is run with The Epoch Times, a far-right media outlet tied to the Falun Gong. The pageant specified that only natural-born (genetic) females, recognized medically and legally in the United States, were eligible.
As an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, I believe it’s high time we put a stop to these culture wars that are targeting transgender rights. The situation has become dangerous, and we need to change our focus.
On Oct. 2, 2023, just days after this “beauty pageant,” a protest was held in front of the NTD Media headquarters. A much-needed event that, unfortunately, didn’t receive the recognition it deserved. LGBTQ+ activists and trans advocates arrived to denounce Falun Gong, NTD and Epoch Times, chanting “Miss NTD is not for me! Trans Lives Matter!” It gave me hope for the future and the ideal that America is truly about equality.
Of course, this was one pebble in the ocean; a larger movement needs to rise from this in the wake of conservative lawmakers making transgender rights a contentious topic during 2023 legislative sessions, alongside the issue of abortion. Several states have laws or policies in effect that prohibit minors from receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy, with similar provisions adopted but paused by courts in three additional states. At least eight more states have signed such provisions into law, though they have not yet taken effect.
In this crucial moment in American history, media organizations wield substantial influence in shaping public attitudes. Unfortunately, media outlets like The Epoch Times continue to disseminate anti-transgender stories. Their endorsement of the MISS NTD Beauty Pageant, which requires contestants to be “natural-born females,” has rightfully sparked condemnation from transgender advocates.
This pageant is just one more example of the growing anti-trans sentiment in the United States, accompanied by a wave of anti-trans legislation in state legislatures and violent attacks against transgender individuals in recent years. As the 2024 US Presidential election approaches, it is crucial for individuals and organizations to critically evaluate the information they consume and recognize when media outlets contribute to a culture of exclusion and “otherness.” In a world where equality and inclusivity are paramount, we must stand together to ensure that transgender rights and all individual rights are protected and upheld.