10 Ways Trans People Are Told We Shouldn’t Exist

Here’s why transphobia sounds like an eradication campaign

Magician by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

I hear this apologia a lot:

Regular people are skeptical about the idea of being transgender. They have “reasonable concerns” about transgender behavior and choices. Of course, ultimately, they’d like everyone to stop being trans—but they’re not saying anyone shouldn’t exist. No one is saying that.

This is incorrect. When we face transphobic prejudice, we perceive the message as “trans people shouldn’t exist,” and this is a commonsense interpretation. Trans people develop this common sense while living our trans lives.

Here are 10 ways in which saying that people shouldn’t be trans amounts to saying that trans people shouldn’t exist.

1. Transphobes Prevent Us From Talking About Our Trans Identities and Specific Needs

Right-wing media strategist Chris Rufo claims that individuals who have identities are the enemy. Trans people must be stopped from speaking about our legal rights, having our identities, or appearing in public. This is war, he says. An institution is captured or defeated if it platforms or includes trans people. Last year, Rufo published a brief pamphlet listing seven…