Allow me to share a couple of articles. You should really read them if you have any doubt of the danger we face. The incoming Trump administration is intending to “eradicate trans people.” This isn’t news. They’ve been saying it openly for a couple of years now.
On Monday, Donald Trump announced his selection for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights: Harmeet Dhillon, a far-right California lawyer with a track record that could pose significant threats to transgender Americans.
The above quote is from a piece by Erin Reed, a highly respected transgender activist and independent journalist. It’s pulled from this piece in her Substack journal. I recommend reading the entire article. Ms. Reed details Dhillon’s history of anti-LGBTQ activity. She also describes specific actions taken against laws intended to protect transgender people, known as “safe state laws.”
Before you suggest that Democrats will stand up against such actions, allow me to direct your attention to this article. Rolling Stone magazine details what appears to be Democrats “surrendering in advance” to Republican efforts to harm the transgender community.
At a minimum, anxious Democrats and advocates believe that party leaders will capitulate on trans health care coverage in federal funding negotiations on the margins, allowing language that bans government-backed insurance plans from covering these services.
Now to be clear, my healthcare is “government-backed.” All of my healthcare comes from Medicare. Such capitulation on the part of Democrats would force me into an effective menopause. Given my recent surgery, I can’t be forced back into “masculinity.” I no longer produce male hormones. Taking away my medications won’t change that. I transitioned long enough ago that my physical changes are irreversible.
As most any cis woman over a certain age will likely attest, menopause is not fun. There’s several very good reasons that HRT is common for post-menopausal cis women. In addition to the emotional changes, there are physical risks too. Osteoporosis is a very real concern when a woman no longer produces estrogen. Taking my HRT from me will place me at greater risk for that condition as well.
Things are getting really scary here in the United States, and Trump has not even taken office. The Republicans seem determined to make good on their threats to eliminate transgender people from society, one way or another.
Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do. 1
Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
My journey continues, for now.
An Aging Trans Woman 
There are those, probably in the millions, who thought that when voting for Trump ‘stuff like this’ was not their problem, because it wouldn’t happen to them… Right? …. They would say of think.
Sorry folks but once an authoritarian inclined administration takes one bite, it gets the taste for the whole of the pie, and one day you will say in all innocent outrage ‘But they can’t do that!’
Guess again. That’s your door they are knocking at.
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Exactly.
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Hi Janet. Been out of the blogging sphere recently. But I did catch that at the last minute Speaker Johnson shoved an anti-trans care measure into the must pass military end of year budget. The measure bans the military providing transition care for minor dependents of service members. I wrote a small bit about how this will hurt military retention.
I regret the massive regression happening in our country to roll back the gain of rights and social acceptance for anyone not white, cis, or straight. It seems to me mostly driven by religion and the inability to accept new changes in society. One last point I want to make dealing with obeying in advance. Gay people found out in the 1980s / 1990s that it is important to both work behind the scenes politically but also it was important to be in your face out and active in public. If we had shrunk into the background the 1970s Anita Bryant religious campaign against us would have won.
Instead we doubled down and beat the drums of we are here, we are queer, get used to it, even though the haters physically attacked us. I personally was out from the time I left the military and for a lot of the time I was in it, so I lost jobs, promotions, was assaulted at work, so much more. But by being out, being in society around everyone, a lot of minds were changed. The left must not do what the Harris campaign choose to do, never defend or mention trans people.
Instead we must champion trans people, make it clear they are part of our group, make it clear they have our full support and we value them. That is the only way to stand against this storm and win. Hugs
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I saw your post about the NDAA and the anti-trans rider. I’ve been dealing with health issues and haven’t been writing as much. And honestly, it’s not good for my mental health seeing all of these attacks on me and my community.
100% agree with everything you wrote. Hugs Scottie.
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Wonderful Janet. I am sorry for the attacks on you / your community. I wish I could help. I do feel attacks on trans people are attacks on the rest of us. I do care about you. Should I stop mentioning to you the negative attacks on trans people I post? Will that help? I can’t deny that you and yours are being attacked and I so strongly want to help you, support you.
But the truth is I hate the idea I am hurting you. Please let me know how to positively help, please.
Hugs and always best wishes. Scottie
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You aren’t hurting me Scottie. It’s the “Christian” Nationalists and their lackey Republicans who are doing that. Please don’t stop advocating for my community. And I need to know what’s going too. It just gets overwhelming sometimes. I know you understand that. You lived through the 80s and the attacks on the gay community.
Keep telling people what is happening, and why it is so wrong. Hugs.
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