GOP Assault on Transgender People

Fascist Politics Targets Vulnerable Minorities

Dale Anderson – Choose Democracy

GOP Attack on Transgender People Mirrors Nazi Campaign

Hate speech – Adolf Hitler blamed the Jewish people for the German nation’s woes following the First World War. Though Jews represented only 0.8% of the population at the time, he claimed they were complicit in Germany’s defeat and posed an existential threat to the German people.

In his speeches prior to assuming power in 1933, Hitler referred to Jews as subhuman, rats, vermin, a plague or virus. And in a speech in 1939, Hitler stated, “Only when this Jewish bacillus infecting the life of peoples has been removed can one hope to establish a co-operation amongst the nations…”

Nuremberg Laws – In September 1935, the Nazis ramped up persecution of the Jews with the passage of the “Nuremberg Laws.” These laws stripped Jews of their citizenship and forbade intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews. Jews were banned from universities and Jewish books burned. Over time, Jews lost their jobs, their businesses, their possessions, and for those unable to escape, their lives. There was one goal of the fascist regime: to make Jews disappear.

The GOP’s Coordinated Assault

The GOP Hate Campaign 2023 – In the United States today, we are watching a similar fascist campaign, this time, targeting the transgender community. The MAGA-Republican plan to eradicate transgender visibility is ongoing. It includes bigoted statements by GOP leaders (Trump, DeSantis, Abbott), incessant anti-trans propaganda by rightwing media (Fox News, NewsMax, The Daily Wire), and harassment and threats from animated MAGA followers and violent extremist groups (Proud Boys).

The GOP’s Nuremberg Equivalents – Similar to the Nazi attack on Jews prior to WWII, the Republican Party in the United States has moved to what Yale philosopher Jason Stanley calls “the legal phase” of a fascist movement. As of April 14, legislators have introduced more than 400 anti-trans bills – more than were introduced over the previous four years (ACLU compilation).

An ACLU article, “How state lawmakers are targeting LGBTQ rights” lists the nature of these new anti-trans laws:

Accurate IDs
These bills attempt to update gender information on IDs and records, such as birth certificates and driver’s licenses to the gender assigned at birth. This puts transgender people at risk of losing jobs, facing harassment, and other harms. Trans, intersex, and nonbinary people need IDs that accurately reflect who they are to travel, apply for jobs, and enter public establishments without risk of harassment or harm.
Civil Rights
These bills attempt to undermine and weaken nondiscrimination laws by allowing employers, businesses, and even hospitals to turn away LGBTQ people or refuse them equal treatment.

Free Speech & Expression
Despite the safeguards of the First Amendment’s right to free expression, politicians are fighting to restrict how and when LGBTQ people can be themselves, limiting access to books about them and trying to ban or censor performances like drag shows.
Healthcare
These bills target access to medically-necessary health care, like Medicaid, for transgender people. Many of these bills ban affirming care for trans youth, and can create criminal penalties for providing this care. These bills exempt identical treatments offered for cisgender youth or are forced onto intersex youth. Other bills block funding to medical centers that offer gender-affirming care, or block insurance coverage of health care for transgender people.
Public Accommodations
Public accommodation bills seek to prohibit transgender people from using facilities like public bathrooms and locker rooms. State lawmakers are trying to prevent trans students from participating in school activities like sports, force teachers to out students, and censor any in-school discussions of LGBTQ people and issues. Instead of limiting resources, education, and opportunities, our schools should protect and support all students to learn and thrive.

Transgender journalist Erin Reed , who has been tracking these bills and publishing anti-transgender bills maps (see below), notes with alarm during a Washington Report (CSPAN) interview,

“Four years ago, these laws were primarily about transgender participation in sports. But now, you know, they are targeting every aspect of our lives.”

GOP bills aimed at harming trans people (examples):

Require ID cards to list birth gender.
Label parent assistance in transitioning of child as “child abuse.”
Felony for parent or doctor to provide transition-related medication.
Prohibit trans children participation in school athletics.
Ban Drag Shows.
Crime for parents to take kids to drag show.
Crime to use gender-identity bathroom.
Prevent insurance coverage of gender-affirming care.

Creating Fear in a Vulnerable Population

Like the fear and uncertainty experienced by Jewish people during the early stages of Nazi control in Germany, anxious trans people and their families are on high alert in the United States. They wonder if they need to move to another state or emigrate for their protection.

Erin Reed has been publishing a “risk map” for transgender people to keep them updated on states passing laws that threaten transgender people and those providing protections (see below).

Learn More

To better understand the perspective of Trans people and the impact of the GOP assault on the LGBTQI community, watch the videos below.

Sarah McBride is the first transgender person to be elected to a state senatorial office. Click here to hear her questioning of a proponent of a bill prohibiting trans children in school sports.

Erin Reed speaks about the assault on transgender rights. Click here to view video.

On Apr 28, 2022, Missouri State Rep. Ian Mackey, a Democrat representing parts of St. Louis County, made a passionate speech in opposition to an anti-trans amendment. Click here to watch.

Montana state representative Zoe Zephyr speaks about Republicans excluding her from the governing body. Click here to view the video.

Brandon Boulware, Missouri dad, speaks about transgender daughter, urging lawmakers not to pass student-athlete bill. Click here to watch.

Gillian Branstetter is a writer, advocate, and spokesperson for the National Center for Transgender Equality. Click here to listen to here interview on the Ezra Klein show (60 min. audio podcast).

Fascist GOP Lies about Transgender People

GOP leader’s attacks on the transgender community, and the laws they are promoting demonstrate the danger of putting ignorant people (or those feigning ignorance) in positions of power. As science deniers (climate deniers, anti-vax proponents) and a party that routinely dismisses expertise (e.g. physicians, public health experts, climate scientists), these leaders promote lies about transgender people such as:

they don’t really exist.
they are mentally ill.
they are confused, or tricking others.
they are sexual predators (groomers).
they represent a danger if allowed to use the bathroom of their gender identity.
their numbers are dramatically growing.
they are a violent group.
children aren’t old enough to know their sexual identity.
gender-affirming care is “child abuse.”
transgender-inclusive healthcare is expensive.

Here are some of the GOP perpetrators of lies about transgender people:

Florida’s Congressional Representative Greg Steube says transgender and intersex people don’t exist. Florida Republican Congressman Greg Steube, wants to amend Title IX — the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex — to carve out an exception and discriminate by recognizing one’s sex as “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”*

Steube, the bill’s lead sponsor, argued in a floor speech that transgender and intersex people do not exist, citing the Bible. “For thousands of years, in human history, we have recognized as a species that there are women and there are men who are obviously biologically different . . . Yet over the last several years, there has been a perversion in our culture by the enemy.” – *Q Voice News, March 9, 2023

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims there is no such thing as gender-affirming care. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Friday said she will reintroduce legislation she sponsored during the last Congress to criminalize the provision of gender-affirming health care to minors, accusing Democrats who support such care of “coming for our children.” Greene said, “there’s no such thing as gender-affirming care.” – The Hill, May 3, 2023.

JD Vance implies transgender people are particularly dangerous. “We’re still learning about the horrific shooting in Nashville. But if early reports are accurate that a trans shooter targeted a Christian school, there needs to be a lot of soul searching on the extreme left. Giving in to these ideas isn’t compassion, it’s dangerous.” Twitter post –7:49 PM · Mar 27, 2023

Florida GOP state representative Webster Barnaby says transgender people are agents of Satan – At a hearing on a bill that would make it a crime for a transgender person to use the bathroom that doesn’t align with their gender assignment at birth, Webster Barnaby said to the trans people in the room, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan, and all of your demons and all of your imps will come parade before us. That’s right, I called you demons and imps who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world.”- ABC News, April 11, 2023

Barnaby later apologized. Jews were depicted as demons with horns in Nazi propaganda in the 1930s (see poster on right).

Greg Abbott sends authorities to terrify families with transgender kids – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on “licensed professionals” and “members of the general public” to report the parents of transgender minors to state authorities if it appears the minors are receiving gender-affirming medical care. State Attorney General Ken Paxton is claiming gender-affirming care with puberty blockers and hormone therapy is “child abuse.” Actions imply parents could have their children removed from their homes.

Florida state representative Randy Fine attacks the Florida trans community – On March 3, the Florida Legislature introduced HB 1421, an extreme, sweeping government assault on the lives and medical freedom of transgender Floridians. The Trans Ban Bill filed by State Representative Randy Fine (R-Brevard) would strip families of their medical freedom, put government in control of insurance coverage decisions, and codify a ban on transgender people being legally recognized as themselves. – Equality Florida Action, Inc., March 3, 2023

President Joe Biden

On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the strength, joy, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know. Transgender Americans deserve to be safe and supported in every community . But today, across our country, MAGA extremists are advancing hundreds of hateful and extreme state laws that target transgender kids and their families. No one should have to be brave just to be themselves.

Click image above to read his full statement (March 31, 2023).

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The Republican Party is no longer a legitimate party operating within our representative democracy. It is a party of hate, anger and guns. It’s time to call it out. In private and in public we must refer to the Republican Party as a fascist political organization, and members supporting the party need to be recognized as fascist enablers.

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