The Growing Storm

It is looking like 2025 will bring a massive fresh crop of anti-transgender legislation1. If you read the news (I would recommend following Erin in the Morning) you will see the magnitude of the backlash, which has only grown since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Trump was reelected. According to the ACLU, 574 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in state legislatures in 2024 alone, with a majority targeting transgender individuals2.

As a transgender woman, I am terrified of what this holds for me and my community.

The past few years have been an uphill battle for the transgender community, with many of us fighting for the basic right to exist, to live authentically, and to access healthcare, housing, and employment without fear of discrimination or violence. With the current political climate, this battle feels more dire than ever.

Living in Fear

Personally I have felt the need to:

  • Stay at my current job, regardless of conditions
  • Leave my house only when necessary
  • Frequent only the places I know are safe

This is not a life I want to live. This is not what any of us deserve.

The Legislative Assault

In 2025, we are likely to see an increase in targeted legislation that restricts access to gender-affirming care, bans transgender athletes from participating in sports, and criminalizes the support and affirmation of transgender youth.

These policies are not just political talking points — they have real, devastating consequences for our mental health, safety, and lives.

The Mental Health Crisis

Key Statistics: (The Trevor Project, 2024)3

  • 46% of transgender and nonbinary young people seriously considered suicide and 14% attempted
  • 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics.
  • 45% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family have considered moving to a different state because of LGBTQ+-related politics and laws

Personal Impact

For many of us, the erosion of our rights means:

  • Losing access to essential medical care
  • Facing potential criminal charges for seeking treatment
  • Living in constant fear for our safety
  • Watching our community suffer and scatter to find safety in other states

To Allies

I am very saddened by the small number of allies who will stand with us but those that do are invaluable. Seeing institutions like the ACLU fight for us all the way to the Supreme Court is inspiring. We need more of this.

Please continue to do whatever you can in your daily life to support members of our community. It means the world for someone to come along side and treat us with dignity and respect - as it’s often something we don’t experience regularly in our daily lives.

To My Trans Family

I see you. I see your strength, your resilience, and your courage in a world that often seems designed to break you. We are more than the sum of our struggles. Our existence is an act of resistance.

In the face of so much hate, we continue to:

  • Live
  • Love
  • Be there for each other
  • Persist

We have been here before, and we have survived as a community. Yes, many of us will lose a lot, even our lives. But together, we can fight back against this wave of hatred and keep moving forward. We deserve joy, safety, and freedom, just like anyone else. And no matter how much they try to erase us, we will not disappear.

If you’re struggling, please reach out for help:

  1. “120 Anti-Trans Bills Filed Across the Country.” Erin in the Morning, December 21, 2024, https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/120-anti-trans-bills-filed-across-the-country ↩︎

  2. “Legislation Affecting LGBTQ Rights Across the Country.” ACLU, 2023, www.aclu.org/legislation-affecting-lgbtq-rights-across-country ↩︎

  3. “2024 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.” The Trevor Project, 2024, www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024 ↩︎