At the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), leading Republican lawmakers and activists launched an assault on transgender rights, often using children as a guise to push their agenda. Throughout the conference, there were claims that Democrats believe in “millions” of genders and calls for the “eradication” of “transgenderism”. These anti-trans remarks were aimed at liberals, who, according to Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, believe that children “should be able to change their gender at recess” and “hyperventilate on their yoga mats if you use the wrong pronoun”. Advocates for LGBTQ rights say that this vitriolic rhetoric is indicative of an increasingly hostile movement among conservatives that seeks to regulate the lives of transgender Americans and marginalize vulnerable young people.
Much of the anti-trans discourse was centered around children. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, one of Trump’s staunchest allies, rallied attendees with a speech devoted to the issue, unveiling her plan to reintroduce a bill that would criminalize doctors for providing gender-affirming care to minors. Meanwhile, Donald Trump drew applause when he pledged to stop “chemical castration and sexual mutilization” of children if re-elected in 2024, while endorsing a national ban on transgender medical treatment for young people. However, leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, consider gender-affirming care to be medically necessary and potentially lifesaving for children and adults diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Many of these anti-trans bills being pushed in state legislatures are not rooted in science – or reality. Health experts and LGBTQ advocates say that gender-affirming care is defined by the World Health Organization as “social, psychological, behavioral or medical (including hormonal treatment or surgery) interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity”. Adolescents may consider puberty-blockers to temporarily pause sexual development, often before hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery, which is not typically offered until age 18 or later. Research suggests that regret is rare.
The backlash against trans rights has helped Republicans to gain power in some states. So far this year, anti-trans legislation has been proposed in 39 states, including 112 measures that focus on medical care restriction and 82 that pertain to education-related issues, according to the website Track Trans Legislation. Last week, the Republican governor of Tennessee signed into law a bill prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors as well as one imposing new limits on drag performances, which have become a target for Republicans. Mississippi also enacted a ban on treatment for transgender youth while Republican state lawmakers in Kentucky advanced a similar measure, following a charged debate over a separate proposal allowing teachers to refuse to use students’ preferred pronouns.
The rhetoric and political actions taken by the Republicans can have profound consequences for LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender youth, for whom suicide rates are high. More than 70% of LGBTQ young people, including 86% of trans and/or nonbinary youth, say the political debate around trans issues has negatively affected their mental health, according to a 2022 survey by The Trevor Project. Advocates say that this propaganda is creating more stigma and discrimination, resulting in real-world violence against LGBTQ people.
Although the backlash against trans rights may boost Republican politicians in their quest to win the party’s nomination, it is likely to backfire in a general election. The vast majority of Americans support LGBTQ equality, and the people who are speaking at this conference are on the wrong side of history.
The intense focus on transgender rights at CPAC this year suggests that it is likely to be a central issue in the coming presidential election. Republican politicians and party leaders are increasingly viewing the issue of trans rights as a way to rile their base. It is a strategy that seeks to capitalize on the conservative “parental rights” movement, which emerged in opposition to pandemic-era school policies requiring remote-learning and mask-wearing but quickly shifted to target classroom instruction related to race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, as well as transgender students’ bathroom use and sports participation.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, seen as Trump’s strongest potential rival for the Republican nomination, was not at CPAC this year but has aggressively targeted trans rights in his state. He signed into law Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill as well as another measure that bans trans women and girls from competing in some school sports in the state. He has also sought to limit gender-affirming care for transgender youths and recently faced sharp criticism for requesting information about students who sought or received such care at public universities in Florida.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, as well as possible 2024 contenders including the former vice-president Mike Pence, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, and the South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem, have all emphasized their opposition to trans rights.
LGBTQ advocates say that the emerging Republican presidential field will continue to embrace the anti-trans rhetoric and policies on offer at CPAC. While the backlash against trans rights may appeal to their base, it is likely to turn off moderate voters in a general election.