Former President Donald Trump once again targeted transgender rights in a fiery speech delivered at the annual Moms for Liberty gathering on August 30th. The event, organized by the conservative non-profit known for opposing LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools, provided Trump with a platform to attack growing acceptance of trans individuals in the United States.
Trump’s remarks painted a grim picture of transgender inclusion, particularly in women’s sports, and questioned the role of educational institutions in supporting transgender students. “The transgender thing is incredible,” Trump said, invoking a false narrative that schools facilitate gender-affirming surgeries without parental consent. His comments, however, starkly contrast with evidence showing that such procedures are rare and heavily regulated, particularly for minors. Less than 1% of transgender people regret their surgeries, underscoring the careful deliberation that precedes these life-changing decisions.
The former president’s rhetoric also extended to transgender women in sports, where he claimed that trans athletes pose an unfair advantage. Trump highlighted the case of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting, two Olympic boxers who faced online harassment based on incorrect assumptions about their gender. Despite these athletes being cisgender, Trump used their experiences to fuel further transphobia, warning that women’s records would be “obliterated” by transgender competitors.
Trump’s speech at Moms for Liberty, a group that has been labeled as extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Center, reinforced his opposition to President Biden’s policies on gender-affirming care. Trump’s continued alignment with such groups, which support book bans and the erasure of LGBTQ+ identities from school curricula, signals a broader agenda to undermine LGBTQ+ rights. The implications for the transgender community, already facing discrimination and violence, are profound, as political leaders continue to use their platform to stoke fear and division.
