Typically, at this time of year, I write about the Transgender Day of Remembrance and the dozens of transgender people who have been murdered due to anti-transgender violence. It’s an issue that has driven much of my work since 1998.
However, there is something bigger that needs to be discussed right now: the 2024 presidential election.
I’m not all that interested in discussing why Trump was elected or whose fault it was, aside from noting that it wasn’t transgender people who caused it.
The GOP and related forces did spend big on anti-trans issues, with Trump-supported ads running during major sporting events nationwide. Yet the ads themselves were not effective: only 4% of voters said that preventing trans surgeries or stopping trans kids in sports drove their vote.
Indeed, the only people really talking about transgender issues this election were the right wing, as the left largely remained silent. Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz did speak on it a bit, but Kamala Harris — and the rest of the Democratic Party — avoided the issue as much as possible. Even as Sarah McBride becomes the first out transgender woman elected to Congress, it is worth noting that they did not have her on stage at the DNC, nor was her historic campaign touted during this election season.
Post-election, some Democrats are also seeking to throw transgender people under the bus — even though we never had a seat on it in the first place.
Meanwhile, it was LGBTQ+ voters who made up a huge part of the support for Harris and Walz: 84% of LGBTQ+ people who voted supported the Harris/Walz ticket, and those votes made up 8% of the overall vote in 2024, per analysis from GQR and HRC.
But what is done is done, and no matter what Donald Trump and his administration do, we all will be harmed. The right has pushed hard on demolishing transgender rights for years now, and this is their chance to bring it all to fruition.
Donald Trump has vowed to end President Joe Biden’s “cruel policies” on gender-affirming care on “day one,” though, as with anything that tumbles out of his mouth, it is unclear what that means. In many of his speeches, he claimed he was ending trans surgeries performed in schools, which is a thing that simply doesn’t happen.
He can, however, push to see trans identities stripped from our identity documents, he can push for schools that include recognition of trans identities to be stripped of federal funding, and he can make it vastly harder for people to acquire needed medications. Of course, any anti-discrimination protection will also be on the block, both from this incoming administration and from a strongly conservative Supreme Court.
Beyond this, of course, this victory will embolden anyone who seeks to harm transgender people. This will only embolden our attackers and aid those who take our lives. Since the first Trump presidency, the issue of anti-transgender violence has only continued to grow, and it is surely poised to get much, much worse.
Furthermore, the reluctance of the left to even mention transgender people — even their new sitting congresswoman — makes it clear to me that there’s no help on the horizon. No one within this country’s halls of power will be coming to save us. We’re on our own.
So, it’s up to us to stay safe. Now is a time for us to come together like never before.
We need to set aside our petty arguments and join in purpose. We need to watch over each other, provide for each other, and work to keep us all safe and well.
With that in mind, I want to suggest a few things you should be doing right now to watch over your needs.
If you need a supportive voice, please remember that Trans Lifeline exists, and they are there to help. They also won’t out you to law enforcement. You can reach them at translifeline.org or 1-877-565-8860. We need you.
Get your identity documents updated now. Passports last for ten years. Yes, they are at risk, but I assure you, getting your identity down on paper is worth doing right now. Keep these in a safe but easy-to-access place.
Talk to your medical provider, too, about extending your prescriptions, and stock up on your medications. They could become a lot harder to obtain, so research DIY options. You can find some tips on that at diyhrt.wiki.
If you can, get a durable power of attorney and an advance health care directive. Those, too, should be kept in a safe, accessible spot.
Consider your emergency plans now. Make a physical list of contacts and information, and prepare what you might need with you in case of extreme emergency. I hope it doesn’t come to this, but being prepared is always better than not — especially now.
If you need a safe place, and if you are a trans person of color, please reach out to Garden of Peace at gardenofpeaceproject.org —and if you can, consider donating to their cause.
And finally, understand that if you need to detransition, or go “stealth,” that’s OK. If you can get out of the country, that may be something you’ll want to do. The important thing to do here is survive, and retreat is a better option versus many others.
Finally, hold onto hope. I’m not going to tell you this future is easy, but we can survive. We have to.
Stay safe and stay well.Gwen Smith has already sent her passport renewal. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com.