I generally try to avoid speaking about political subjects in public, but this isn't politics - It's basic human rights.
The US Declaration of Independence names three unalienable rights for all people: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. And to me, that last point in particular holds true so long as one does not infringe on the rights of others.
The technology exists where, if one feels a dysphoria with their 'assigned' biological gender. they can undergo procedures and treatments in order to bring their physical body in line with their mental view of themselves. But not everybody can go through with such a procedure, nor may they feel entirely comfortable committing to it - That does not make them any less valid of the gender they see themselves as.
Speaking as a cisgender male, I admit I cannot fully relate to all the struggles being felt by the Transgender community in the wake of the election and all the policies pushed by the president. But from what I've seen, it's yet another attempt for people to feel better about themselves by legalizing bullying of those different from them. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and so on. But that doesn't make it any less valid, or any less wrong. It violates all three of those supposedly unalienable rights on which this country was supposedly founded (which I've noticed seems to be a theme here).
Let's look at it one at a time.
Life:
Someone born with XY chromosomes who identifies as a woman is no less a living, breathing person than someone born with XY chromosomes who identifies as a man. They still eat, sleep, drink water, have hobbies and interests, have feelings and emotions, and so on. Just because they feel comfortable being referred to with feminine pronouns, or dress differently from how society expects them to, or take treatments to help bring their physical body closer to the way they picture themselves, does not mean they're any less alive.
Yet with so much hateful rhetoric being spewed constantly by people who refuse to understand what they're going through or what transgenderism means, their lives are at a very real and very serious risk. It's easy to dismiss it as being just 'some nutjob going crazy', but any loss of life is a tragedy, especially over something as senseless as the perpetrator thinking the victim is somehow wrong for identifying differently from their physical body. And the problem is, those 'nutjobs' are being given more freedoms than the people they're targeting. I won't sensationalize and claim every single person who voted a particular way wishes to exterminate the Transgender community, but the fact of the matter is, there definitely are people who would do such a thing if afforded the chance. And even just one person putting a hit on someone is too many. Lives are genuinely at risk, and with the recent events in the government, it feels as though every member of the trans community suddenly has a huge target on their backs. Maybe not to everybody on a particular side, but absolutely to some. And with the recent mandates, it feels as though the hate has been given a green light and made legal.
And even if not directly targeted, the constant harassment that many face can and has driven people to suicide. Transgender youths have among the highest rates of suicide among all youths, and it doesn't get much better once they come of age. And now that hate has seemingly become the law of the land, and it will lead to more senseless deaths. Again, any death is a tragedy, but because it's been made legal to bully and harass and hate people of a certain demographic while denying protections to that same demographic?
Liberty:
Basic freedom of free will. One simple word. We use it all over this country. Yet once again, an entire community is being withheld from the supposed right. Body dysmorphia is not made up, nor is it a choice; it's a very real, valid, and documented condition that affects countless people all over the world. And in a world where one can receive treatments for other conditions like cancer, post-traumatic, broken bones, depression, and so on, why should it be taboo to receive treatment for dysmorphia? The treatments are readily available in the world; why should access to them be blocked to those who seek them? It's not a choice to have dysmorphia, but it should be an option to treat it, as it is with uncountable other conditions one might have.
Pursuit of Happiness:
People with dysmorphia are unhappy with their physical body - That's the definition of the word. There's ways they can change their physical bodies to be something about which they can be happy. Why, then, are they not allowed to pursue that happiness? And even if they don't necessarily wish to commit to an operation or perhaps can't afford HRT, something as simple as using their preferred pronouns brings happiness. It's a basic courtesy. If someone wants to be called 'Him', then they should be called 'Him' regardless of what body parts they do or don't have. It makes them happy having their perceived gender acknowledged. Deliberately misgendering someone is a form of bullying, by expressing to them their preferences don't matter, invalidating them.
As I mentioned, the Pursuit of Happiness should not come at the cost of someone else's rights. So let's look at both sides here.
A person with dysmorphia is uncomfortable being referred to by feminine pronouns and wishes to be referred to instead by masculine pronouns. They ask people to do so, and it happens. They are happy, and nobody else had to suffer for it.
Someone decides they don't wish to conform to that and deliberately uses feminine pronouns for the individual. The person misgendering them may be happy, but it comes at the cost of the happiness of the individual with dysmorphia.
See the difference?
There is absolutely no harm in using someone's preferred pronouns regardless of whether their biological gender conforms to it. A cis man and a trans man are both men. A cis woman and a trans woman are both women.
What is harmful is refusal to acknowledge the preferred gender, as it invalidates the victim's condition and their rights as a person. It takes away their happiness and denies their pursuit of it. Blocking resources to help them denies their right to liberty. And targeting them or driving them to suicide denies their right to life.
I've seen several attempts at justifying the hate that all boil down to the individual saying 'I don't agree with their choice'. And my response is "It's not your choice to make." It's not like the individual asked to have dysmorphia or to suffer dysphoria. Why does it matter to anyone else how they choose to mitigate their condition? Be it treatments, surgery, therapy, or just simply asking to go by certain pronouns - None of it harms or inconveniences anybody else. Calling a cis man 'Him' is okay, so why is calling a trans man 'Him' not okay?
With all that said, I vow to do everything in my power to help and support the Transgender community through these dark days. I again admit I'm a cisgender male, myself, and I can't fully speak for everyone in the community, but this is my personal take on it. I will always be a safe place to those seeking one, and if someone is feeling invalidated, I'll do what I can to help them out - Even if it's just as simple as acknowledging their preferred pronouns. Hate will not win, and spite will not prevail. And I will be with the community every step of the way that I'm able.
Love you all. And to everyone, especially in the Transgender community: Never let anyone take away your identity - As a wise lion one said, "Remember who you are".
Be safe, take care, and stay awesome.
