America’s Anti-Trans Panic Is a Scam

But there’s hope for us all when we learn to understand these connections. Labor unions like UNITE HERE increasingly recognize that discrimination against one group weakens protections for all, prioritizing trans-inclusive health care across the hospitality industry. They understand that when employers test the waters of discrimination against trans workers, they’re testing how much discrimination all workers will accept.

The solution isn’t to ignore trans rights in favor of economic justice, or vice versa; it’s to recognize their fundamental connection—after all, the forces arrayed against us all understand this only too well. When we show up to school board meetings to defend trans kids, we can also demand answers about why teachers are forced to buy their own supplies. When we support trans advocacy groups, we can also join tenant and labor unions building broad coalitions to achieve better living and working conditions. When politicians try to manufacture outrage about pronouns, we can shift the conversation to their voting record on raising the minimum wage instead. These struggles are intertwined, and we’re stronger when we face them together rather than letting them become wedge issues that divide us.

The anti-trans panic is designed to displace our righteous anger about our exploitative economic system at the expense of trans people, immigrants, and other marginalized Americans. It’s about preventing Americans from recognizing our shared struggles and common enemies. We can’t afford to keep falling for it—not when we have the power to expose and deconstruct the cynical charade that is being used to divide us.