“Nobody’s gonna take away trans rights.”
With the anger in the political arena at the moment, I am amazed that anyone could seriously state this. I am a postop trans woman and I’ve lived in Florida since the late 1950s. In recent years with Ron DeSantis and his cronies in complete control of the state legislature, my life has been turned upside down. I am passable, so for the most part maneuver through the day unnoticed. No one gives me a second thought, even in a locker room. But I try to stay in the shadows as much as possible. No yard signs, no bumper stickers, no over the top paraphernalia. I have seen too many instances of friends being harassed by violent/abusive bigots out in public. Until the MAGA movement, they refrained from open hatred. Now they have been emboldened to do and say the most outrageous things.
As for me personally, I have lost six doctors either due to the anti-trans legislation that has been passed in recent years or because openly expressing transphobia is now allowed without consequence in the healthcare community. Two of my doctors, my gynecologist and urologist, not only left their local practice in Tampa, they left the country for fear that parts of their practice would be criminalized on a National level if DeSantis or Trump became president. Consequently, I now spend a lot of time in New Jersey, where I receive excellent medical care and can lead a more relaxed life, even though I reside in a county which is filled with Trump supporters. I never have any problems here in the stores or in professional offices. They may be open about showing off their MAGA affiliations, but as people they remain reasonable and friendly. The difference between New Jersey and Florida? Florida has enshrined transphobia and hatred into law. New Jersey protects the legal rights of all its citizens, including the trans community.
The bottom line. To think that further pressure would not be put on the trans community through legislative action is naïve at best and complicit at worst. It is already happening at the state level. God only knows what will happen at the national level if Trump is elected and project 2025 becomes the blueprint for the law of the land. It is a scary time to be alive.
