I never wanted to care about trans rights. [View all]

[paulkienitz]

Trans rights were never a subject that mattered to me. I've only ever known one trans person, and I didn't even like him very much. It was not, and is not, a subject that engages me personally.

But I still have to stand up to strongly defend trans rights. Why? Because the whole reason they are attacking trans rights these days is because they see it as a tactically viable starting point for beginning an attack on a whole lot of other rights. If they succeed in gaining public acceptance of bigoted anti-trans restrictions, their clear intent is to use that as a base from which to immediately extend further assaults on gay rights, women's rights, and minority rights. Their end goal is to create an America in which only white Christian patriots have full rights, and all others are less than citizens. They are attacking trans rights for the sole reason that they see these rights to be the least well defended, the most vulnerable point at which to gain an initial victory and reverse their string of defeats. It isn't simple transphobia that drives this, it's homophobia and sexism looking for a safe way to show itself. It's the whole panoply of deplorable bigotries, all focused on the one target they see as being the least protected.

We have to defend at the point they choose to attack, or they break through our lines. Then they can strike in any direction.