Fears Rise Among Trans People Under Political Persecution

Frederica Freyberg:
A national trend that has pushed transgender issues into the political spotlight, despite less than 1% of the population identifying as trans. “Here & Now” student journalist Jane McCauley heard from the perspective of someone who is trans about the repercussions of this climate on the trans community.

B:
It’s difficult to know that there — that those conversations are happening, and it’s difficult to feel so powerless. It’s difficult to have people talking about your identity like it’s something to be feared or hated or boxed away, hidden.

Jane McCauley:
Twenty-four-year-old B identifies as queer and trans.

B:
My identity is something beautiful and to be celebrated. That stark difference is difficult to live with.

Jane McCauley:
B uses both he and they pronouns and has chosen to conceal their identity and name on account of their safety. Their daily life is shifting under the new presidential administration.

Donald Trump:
There are only two genders: male and female.

Jane McCauley:
Within a week of being in office, President Trump issued executive orders banning trans people from women’s sports, the military, and defunding youth gender affirming care.

B:
When your government doesn’t want you to exist, it is scary and it is a heavy burden. I exist exactly as I am, and Donald Trump doesn’t get a say in that.

Jane McCauley:
Questioning trans rights at all levels has been an issue Republicans have been running on for the last few years. It helped propel Trump to the White House.

Ron Johnson:
I do appreciate the fact that he’s now defining for America, for government policy, that, you know, there are two genders, you know, men and women. He’s moving to protect women from having to compete against male athletes, from having biological males invade their, their locker rooms and other private spaces, their bathrooms. So, you know, I certainly appreciate that. That’s something that I think is also very popular. It’s what the American people support.

Abigail Swetz:
The general public is told a lot about trans people, and very little of it is told by trans people.

Jane McCauley:
Abigail Swetz is executive director of Fair Wisconsin, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group based in Madison.

Abigail Swetz:
And that is striking to me because of the fact that that creates a — not only like an absence of knowledge, but an absolute misunderstanding of the reality of the lived experience of trans people.

Jane McCauley:
Fair Wisconsin is looking toward policy protections for trans rights at all levels.

Abigail Swetz:
The local avenue, the school board avenue, the state avenue, those are open, and we will go down that road.

B:
It’s difficult to know that there — that those conversations are happening and it’s difficult to feel so powerless.

Colten Schoenike:
It also, again, just confirms that this is not about any particular issue that folks have with trans people. It’s just about removing trans people from society.

Jane McCauley:
Therapists like Colten Schoenike are ready to provide support and resources. Coltan is transgender and nonbinary and uses they, them pronouns. Their practice is based in the small city of Menominee, where access to LGBTQ providers is already limited.

Colten Schoenike:
You probably gotta go out to the big city to access that. We’ve been thinking about, you know, people having increased demand, increased need, also trying to be thoughtful about people, you know, not dropping off if they start to feel hopeless.

Jane McCauley:
Since November, LGBTQ crisis hotlines have spiked. One hotline seeing a 700% jump after Election Day. B remembers needing that community support.

B:
Being able to see trans adults not only surviving but thriving in adulthood and loving their lives and the people that they became, gave me hope for my own future.

Abigail Swetz:
I also do not think you need to know every detail of someone’s identity to respect them as people.

Colten Schoenike:
If you’re not getting hit by the stones thrown at us, you’re not standing close enough.

B:
I am scared beyond belief for the future of trans rights in this country, for the future of trans people in this country. I am also stubbornly hopeful that trans people and our allies will come together and will resist every attempt to strip us of our rights and our humanity.

Jane McCauley:
Reporting from Menominee and Madison, I’m Jane McCauley for “Here & Now.”