While there are many reasons to be disappointed in elected Democrats right now amidst the overwhelming amount problems in our current situation here in the US, one of the most disappointing and aggravating is how easily too many of them are willing to abandon support for transgender people.
What does it cost anyone to acknowledge the rights of transgendered people to simply exist as they are? Do you recognize calling someone by their preferred nickname? Can you remember to do that? It should be no harder to avoid deadnaming a transgender person! Does it matter to you how someone dresses?
Caring about restricting and infringing the rights of transgendered people takes far more work than just not thinking about it. If, for whatever reason, you have a problem with transgendered people in general, find better things to do! Not caring about how other people live their lives is incredibly easy. You can take that time to do something useful for yourself, your family, or your community.
Are we really that concerned that mediocre male athletes are going to rework their entire lives to compete against women? While yes, at equivalent levels of competition, elite male athletes are usually going to beat elite female athletes. But how many men really are going to upend their entire life to compete for glory in women’s sports? Across nearly all sports, women’s sports still lags far behind men’s sports in attention, money and support, even where quality of play is just as good – if not better – on the women’s side.
On this Trans Day of Visibility, let’s acknowledge that all people have a right to exist and a right to dignity. Let’s abandon politicians who are not willing to stand up for the rights of transgender people. It really should be the easiest thing to just say, “I support your rights to exist and equal protection under the law.”
