The transgender community, particularly trans women of color, faces an epidemic of violence. The Human Rights Campaign has tracked dozens of fatal violent incidents against trans people annually, with the actual numbers likely higher due to misgendering in police reports. Simultaneously, legal battles over ID documents—changing one’s gender marker on a driver’s license or birth certificate—remain a daily hurdle that affects employment, travel, and dignity.
When you support a trans child using their chosen name, you are upholding the same dignity that allows a lesbian to marry her wife. When you fight for a trans woman to use the bathroom in peace, you are fighting for the same safety that allows a gay man to walk down the street holding his partner’s hand. When you listen to trans elders, you are hearing the echoes of Stonewall.
For queer culture to survive the current political backlash (which includes state-sanctioned bans on drag performances, which directly target gender expression), it must center trans voices.