77
votes
The US GOP doesn’t want to punish trans people—it wants to eradicate them
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- Authors
- Brynn Tannehill, Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, Tori Otten, Jason Linkins, Timothy Noah, Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling, Michael Tomasky
- Published
- Jan 19 2024
- Word count
- 1405 words
FTA:
Project 2025 is a lot darker than that. It's a straight up playbook for a Nazi coup, not just a screed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025
If people say they want to overthrow the government and do a purge, drafting plans to achieve it, and have already attempted it before...I'm inclined to believe them.
Sounds like they're self-reporting that they can't stop thinking about trans people's genitals?
Terrifying. Even as someone who’d in theory be the least threatened in the event that all this comes to pass, it’s difficult to not feel an impetus to establish footing in another country as a plan B. I can’t imagine how it feels to be among the individuals under the crosshairs of this plan.
That's how it seems, but that's not really how it works. For the kind of power they're after, there has to be an enemy they appear to be fighting. The event needs to be accessible so people can see it on a daily basis.
If they do manage to either eradicate that enemy or remove them from everyday life, they'll have expanded the definition of that enemy or find a new enemy. Maybe now you're a problem because you once worked with a trans person. Maybe it's because you're in a job where your gender is a minority. Maybe all women have to wear high heels and dresses and all men have to wear suits, or they're declared trans.
Othering a group of people to this degree is always a problem. It's how you get slavery and how the group in power distracts the public so they will look like heroes.
Very true. Without a boogeyman to fight it would all fall apart in short order.
It's terrifying beyond comprehension to know that a president candidate (if elected) could order me illegal within the next two years for basically any reason they want and I can do nothing to stop it. I am safe in my local community for now (Minnesota is amazing), but I just can't fathom what will happen if the next president is republican. I have to constantly think about this and constantly have a plan for what to do.
I should have been thinking about emmigration 5 years ago, but it is truthfully very hard to think about, because while I could move somewhere potentially safer, I'd also be moving away from all of my friends and family and my life would be undoubtedly harder than it is currently, but that would also protect me in the case that this abhorrent project 2025 becomes a reality. It's a constant balancing act I have to do in my head.
Unless I do carry forward with emmigration plans, my best hope is that if project 2025 comes to pass, that there are mass protests to overthrow it, refusal for my state to comply to it, or that I can claim refugee status somewhere else. I absolutely hate having to think about this and I still cannot understand why some people hate people like me so much. I'm a normal woman, nobody in my life sees me as anything other than a normal woman, hardly anybody even knows I'm trans at this point (I transitioned a while ago), and Republicans label me as a child predator for just existing.
Assuming you don't continue with emigration plans beforehand, you still can have luck suddenly leaving the US for another country if shit hits the fan, assuming you're a US citizen. Being a US citizen, you get 90 days in the Schengen area visa-free, and even when ETIAS gets implemented in 2025 it'll cost only 7 euros and only needs to be applied for 96 hours before your departure. 90 days isn't a lot but it can be enough for you to research asylum (depending on how bad it gets in the US) or another legal way to get a longer-term right to stay somewhere. If you don't already have a passport (or if it's gonna expire soon), get one. If you've got the financial means, set aside money to use on sudden "oh shit I need to get out" expenses.
If you're looking to emigrate, either now or later once things get bad, I'd keep an eye on TransRescue, as they're a good organization to ask for advice. While there are other organizations that focus on rescuing LGBT+ folks from dangerous situations, they're one of the only ones I know of that doesn't sent people to the US and openly acknowledges that things are getting worse there. A quote from their "If You Need Help" page:
Thank you for the advice and resources! I did plan on applying for a passport this week, since I do want to start traveling internationally anyways. Financially, I was already starting to save up for a house, so I do have some savings if shit hits the fan. It's not enough right now if I needed to emigrate, but it will be by the time 2025 comes around (and the fact I could sell my car for $10k cash if I really needed to (not like I could bring it with me anyways) along with being able to sell many other things that couldn't come with me).
I do honestly love where I am right now, so I'm hoping the US's slide to fascism stops. I trust my state, but there's only so much they can do in the face of something like project 2025. Obviously I'm hoping for the best, but I should start at least collecting resources that can help me prepare for the worst.
Yeah, I honestly really hope that the US doesn't drop any further towards fascism and that things improve... across the board really. But y'know, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I emigrated prior to realizing I was trans, but I constantly worry for my trans friends back in the US (as well as those I know in the UK). I've basically given anyone I know well enough a personal invite to flee to my place if shit really hits the fan where they live.
That sort of thing is supposed to make you ineligible for civic service and elected positions.
I guess there's nobody to enforce that.
I'm currently reading a book about Trump by New York attorney James Zirin.
I've also heard this from other sources than Zirin but Trump's mentor was Roy Cohn who acted as staffer in Congress to Senator McCarthy at the communist investigation hearings. He later worked with Richard Nixon. Hate, fear, bullying and persecution have a long history in US politics.
But what we face now is IMHO an open grab for fascist power. This project 2025 needs to be fought at every possible level.
How “official” is this plan? It sounds horrifying and (pardon me) trans rights should be the least of our worries here.
The general idea lines up with the things Trump has been talking about in recent months. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html
The Heritage Foundation has also been closely-associated with the Republican Party, steering their direction since Reagan.
Thanks, unfortunately that link is paywalled for me.
Trump and Allies Forge Plans to Increase Presidential Power in 2025 gift version
It's so, so insane too because of just how hypocritical it is. The right botched and moaned for 8 years about Obama's use of the executive order. Then Trump almost had more executive orders in ř years than Obama did in 8. Now they want to make Trump a king?
Senate Republicans really dropped the ball by not convicting him when he was impeached. We wouldn't be in this situation if they had any backbone. Half of them were pissing themselves in the Senate Chamber on Jan 6th and still couldn't find the courage to disqualify him. Now we have to take these roundabout disqualification measures to make sure he doesn't become a tyrant.
Thank you. Jesus what a depressing and scary read.
Depressing to read, even as a european. First it was pregnant women, noew it's the Transgenders, they're already going for all people with a "different" sexual orientation (which includes me)... I remember when I was young that the US was a land of oppertunity, now I am not welcome anymore. That's a sad realisation.
Even as a European, it's important to keep your eye out -- anti-trans rhetoric is unfortunately not an exclusively Americam phenomenon, and access to trans healthcare is actually worse in almost all of Europe than even in the US. Some countries in Europe (most famously the UK aka "TERF island") are artuably even worse than the US when it comes to political agendas to eradicate trans people.
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It's always been trans people. This isn't a new thing. It's just gotten worse since it's no longer politically acceptable to say these things about lesbians and gays - which is far from saying that doesn't happen either.
The adoration, ideology, and dogma surrounding the US is a major problem that has done amazing work at preventing true equality from truly taking root. It's basically nationalism but it's so commonplace that we don't even recognize it when we see it.
I keep on thinking about these words, though perhaps in a more hopeful way: bullies are changing their targets because (on average) people are gradually becoming more compassionate and accepting toward those unlike themselves.
At least, I hope so. The bullies are still going to be there, and their attacks will be focused on smaller and smaller segments of the population.
I appreciate your optimism. Maybe one day we can make it just as passé to be transphobic as it is to be homophobic.
Unfortunately I’m rather pessimistic about it and am terrified that things will go the other way and us gays and lesbians will have our rights stripped again.
I don't think it will go the other way (e.g., prediction markets say the Obergefell ruling will stand), but ultimately we don't know yet, and you're not wrong to be concerned when a seriously weighty matter is at stake. My thoughts are with you, and with everyone else whose rights are threatened.
Unfortunately, this is an optimistic view.
Some groups have openly said they want to attack all LGBTQIA+ rights, and the way to do this is divide the support - "drop the T". Once they've done that gay people will be under attack - and that's already happening when we look at book bans. Surrogacy and adoption for gay parents will be under attack any day now.
Whenever I read news like this it makes me wish I could reach through my screen and give all of our trans members here a loving, comforting hug.
I’m so sorry. You all deserve so much better.
Alright, so what do we do about it?
Voting for candidates that support trans rights and talking to your current local/state/national representatives about how important that is to you and your vote. This includes things like school and library boards. Consider running for those smaller local positions if that's viable for you. Canvas, phone bank etc if you can't. If you want to join a larger movement, or make donations, I'm happy to do a bit of research. I don't know who's being the most effective in this space right now, in part because things feel so bleak.
Supporting public libraries, local bookstores, queer-owned businesses, places that host drag shows, etc. There's not much ground between being trans and being other varieties of queer especially in the eyes of people who consider any sort of "gender ideology" to be sexual abuse.
Don't tolerate anti-trans rhetoric in your peers. Make sure you are safe - I'm not asking people to pick fights in Costco with strangers, or get kicked out onto the street if parents are transphobes. But using what power, privilege and position you have can be key to changing minds. A lot of times sexist/homophobic/transphobic jokes and behavior are tolerated by friends even when it's annoying them because no one wants to say a thing. A simple "not cool dude" can knock off some of that. Similarly seeing a friend speak up on social media can make a difference and let your trans/non-binary friends know you've got their back.
Please, if you have the ability to run for a local council or school board position, do it. Moms 4 Liberty and other far right terrorist groups are running for those positions across the country and using their power to attack minorities in school districts everywhere. Even if you know nothing about public schools, having a person who has good intentions but no experience is far better for the community than having one's who opening attack LGBT students. Hell, the one in my district also attacks black students and things like Black History month and initiatives to hire diverse teachers. These people are monsters and are more likely to have an effect in your life because they're local.
I know this is not directed to me personally, but I truly wish I had more energy and time. We have a good progressive group locally due to a couple of universities, but it's a blue blob in a red county.I just can't add any more to my plate even though I want to.
It's why I tried to include a wide range of actions that can be taken. Because little things help, and educating friends can be more impactful and more rewarding than cold calling strangers for a campaign
Absolutely. Even if you don't run yourself, talk with your friends about people who are running. Share their posts on Facebook, do whatever you can handle. Democracy dies with apathy
Things have gotten to the point where we need to start underground railroading trans people into safer states. If you live in a state with decent legislation, talk to your local trans community to help them do this.
Vote in state and local elections. Counterprotest the right wing freaks. Talk to and convince the ignorant but not hateful people. We will win in the end, never forget that. Love conquers all.
Thankfully we don't have to underground railroad yet. We can just regular railroad. It's not quite like getting people to abortion clinics from states with bounty laws. Trans folks are openly moving though, and absolutely supporting the ways we can.
Mirror, for those hit by the paywall:
https://archive.is/lMSq7