According to data analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), LGBTQ advocates express fears that this aggressive campaign could incite further fear and hatred against a community that constitutes less than 1% of the adult population in the United States. This community already faces significant rates of discrimination and violence.
Impact on Trans Americans
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, stated, “After the elections, transgender Americans will have to contend with the dangerous consequences of shameful lies and misinformation that many political candidates are deliberately spreading.” The narrative pushed by former President Donald Trump’s campaign claims that he will end transgender care in prisons and restrict access to gender-affirming care and participation in sports for transgender individuals.
In contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris, noted by some LGBTQ groups as part of the most “LGBTQ-friendly” administration, has expressed her intent to uphold the law regarding transgender care and support the Equality Act, legislation aimed at protecting LGBTQ Americans from discrimination.
Trump’s Claims on Transgender Care in Prisons
Trump’s campaign has seized on Harris’s past comments supporting care for transgender inmates. In 2019, she endorsed “providing medically necessary care for transition treatment.” However, Harris’s team countered Trump’s recent criticisms by highlighting that the Bureau of Prisons, under Trump’s administration, permitted transgender individuals to receive gender-affirming medical care based on individual assessments.
The American Civil Liberties Union reports that despite hundreds of transgender individuals in federal custody, none received gender-affirming surgeries in 2023, highlighting a lack of access to such care.
Allegations of Covert Operations in Schools
Throughout his campaign, Trump has frequently depicted fictional scenarios involving schools secretly sending children for “operations” without parental consent. He alleged, “Some places, your boy goes to school and comes back a girl. Right? Without parents’ consent.” In reality, any gender-affirming care provided to minors, including puberty blockers or hormone therapy, requires parental consent.
A study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that transgender and gender-diverse minors utilize gender-affirming surgeries at very low rates, contrasting sharply with the higher rates of such procedures among cisgender minors and adults.
Claims Regarding Transgender Athletes
Trump has made controversial claims concerning transgender athletes, including referring to a boxing match between Italian boxer Angela Carini and Algerian boxer Imane Khali. Misleading reports portrayed Khali as a transgender woman, but the International Olympic Committee confirmed that she was registered as a woman at birth.
Trump also referenced a volleyball game involving a transgender athlete, incorrectly asserting that she injured other female players. However, San Jose State clarified that the ball merely bounced off the athlete’s shoulder, and she sustained no injuries.
In multiple campaign speeches, Trump has vowed to “keep men out of women’s sports,” making this issue a prominent topic in his campaign.
Community Reactions and Broader Context
Supporters of LGBTQ rights argue that the narrative suggesting transgender women are “taking over” women’s sports is misleading. Advocacy group Athlete Ally estimates that fewer than 40 out of 500,000 athletes in the NCAA are transgender women.
With the elections approaching, the stark contrast between the Republican narrative and the reality of transgender healthcare and rights highlights the ongoing battle over LGBTQ issues in American politics, even as many voters prioritize different concerns. The potential consequences of this intensified rhetoric are significant, particularly for the transgender community, which continues to navigate a landscape marked by both activism and adversity.
