Why We Stand With the Transgender Community So Strongly
Why We Stand With the Transgender Community So Strongly
We have both maintained a presence on Twitter for almost 13 years (with the exception of a 3-year ban). During this time, we have only been involved in politics for roughly 4 years. As a result of the Trump administration, we experienced an unprecedented level of hostility and animosity. To my dismay, I was wrong in thinking that we would not witness such a degree of hatred again.
Due to a relentless stream of far-right Republican policies, especially those championed by Ron DeSantis in our home state of Florida, there has been a dramatic rise in the amount of vitriol directed towards the transgender and LGBTQ+ communities at large. Republicans seem to be exploiting cultural conflicts and our differences to divide voters and promote a dangerous and fictitious alternate reality to their base.
As a cisgender man on social media, advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community is not a pleasurable experience. Our inboxes are often inundated with hate mail, with derogatory terms such as "pedophiles" or "groomers" frequently hurled at us. However, I strongly believe that this is a small price to pay for standing up for what's right. If it was my child who was under attack, I would hope that others would do the same thing: speak out against hate, highlight the importance of these individuals, and educate others about the issues.
According to research, 82% of transgender individuals have contemplated suicide, and 40% have attempted it, with transgender youth having the highest risk. Depending on the study, it's estimated that transgender teens are 600-800% more likely to attempt suicide than their cisgender peers.
When uneducated and bigoted people spew hatred towards transgender individuals on social media or pretend that they are outcasts from society, these statistics likely increase.
Republicans in various states are seeking to prohibit families from allowing their teenage children to receive gender-affirming hormones (GAH), puberty blockers (PBs), or gender-affirming surgeries. To an outsider, permitting young teens to undergo these treatments might appear to be a form of child abuse, but in reality, it is the opposite. Failing to allow young teenagers to receive these treatments after consulting with doctors and mental health professionals could actually lead to their death. Recent research suggests that gender-affirming hormones (GAH) and puberty blockers (PBs) reduced depression in 60% of transgender youth who took them.
Undoubtedly, every situation has its limits. Obviously, one wouldn't administer puberty blockers to a toddler, and no reputable medical professional in the United States would conduct surgery on a child they believe isn't a suitable candidate for such a procedure. Normally, hormone therapy and puberty blockers are short-term solutions, and upon discontinuation, their effects gradually dissipate. Nevertheless, these medications offer crucial respite for teenagers grappling with gender dysphoria, allowing them the necessary time to explore their identity while also markedly decreasing their likelihood of contemplating suicide.
Discussions surrounding transgender athletes and surgical procedures warrant deliberation, however, surgery is seldom performed on individuals under the age of 17, and potential solutions exist to appease both viewpoints regarding athletic participation. The predicament doesn't lie in diverging opinions but rather in the exploitation of these divergences to advance discriminatory agendas.
Politicians disseminating misinformation have no right to dictate what families can or cannot do regarding their health, and this poses a danger not only to these young Americans but to society as a whole.
These people are poorly informed and it shows. Even some who are relatively well informed, who call themselves Liberal and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community have run away with the stories they've encountered about 'child surgeries' and 'forced puberty blockers'. All terribly over amplified, I might add. Of minors, parents should always be the last line of defense and have the last word on gender identity issues, and I would bet my house any real instances of this are very rare. Surgery before the age of 18 is very rare, and requires a long, long road of mental health support, hormonal meds and years of living as their desired gender, not to mention gobs of money before it would or could be performed by an actual, respected gender reassignment surgeon. Yet a 14 year old can marry in some states, and be forced to carry a child, married or not! As always, the portion of government who don't want to even speak or hear of gay or trans (or even drag shows!) are more than eager to push themselves into this arena. Consider how well legislation based on race has turned out.
I say leave it to the experts: doctors, psychologists, parents and their children. Seriously, the government in 'bedrooms' AGAIN? Gender disphoria is not a 'decision', it's not a 'whim'- it's a torturous life no one would ever 'choose'. And the same people who can't get past their own racist idealogy because they're afraid of what isn't them, are the same tired bigots who can't accept LGBTQ folk (who again, aren't just like them) - and horrors, sometimes are undetectable! Yet have been living right under their noses SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME. Meaning somehow these folks haven't really evolved AT ALL since...EVER. And their reactions, their speech, their comments, merely reflect that. And evolution is required to survive, as the last 40 million+ years of man has shown.
Thank you for this column. I follow you on Twitter but I like having a longer missive about this. I have met wonderful trans men and women. I support them with love.