Transgender Americans Brace for Challenges and Increased Hostility Under Trump Presidency

Following Donald Trump’s election victory, transgender Americans are preparing for potential attacks from the White House and in their neighborhoods, reflecting a turbulent campaign season rife with anti-trans rhetoric.

Throughout his campaign, Trump repeatedly propagated false claims about transgender people, spending millions on advertisements targeting them despite trans individuals constituting less than one percent of the U.S. population. Erin Reed, a Maryland-based journalist and trans rights activist, described the current climate as one of heightened fear and concern. “The danger is real. Their feelings are valid, and this is just what we’re dealing with right now,” she told CBC News.

Trump’s agenda includes prohibitions on transgender participation in women’s sports and defunding gender-affirming care, with additional claims about children receiving sex changes in schools without parental consent. Anti-trans ads, like one falsely linking Kamala Harris with “biological men” competing in girls’ sports, were widespread, with nearly half of Trump campaign spending from Oct. 7 to Oct. 20 focused on anti-trans messaging.

Reed anticipates a wave of new federal policies targeting transgender rights, suggesting that trans people who had previously felt secure in Democrat-led states might no longer have that protection. Reed said, “I’m expecting Trump to likely use his office to target transgender people in blue states.” According to the ACLU, the past year alone saw over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced across the U.S., many impacting access to gender-affirming care and school pronoun policies.

Data from recent polls, however, indicate limited public support for anti-trans rhetoric. An October survey by Data for Progress found most respondents, including 41% of Republicans, viewed such messaging as “sad and shameful,” with many advocating for fewer government restrictions on trans lives.

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of Advocates for Trans Equality, warns that anti-trans rhetoric may escalate discrimination and harassment against transgender individuals, a phenomenon evidenced by rising hate crimes. “When a leader of the country signals that some members of our society aren’t valued, it opens the door for someone with hate in their hearts to act,” he explained.

Despite these challenges, signs of progress endure. Sarah McBride’s election as the first openly transgender person in Congress provides a hopeful counterpoint to the current wave of opposition. Heng-Lehtinen underscored that the trans community remains resolute. “We will do what we have to do. Trans people, we know how to fight,” he asserted, as the community prepares to advocate for its rights in the face of adversity.