Cis Women Using Their Voices Against the Anti-LGBTQ Movement Is More Important Now Than Ever

Recently the state of Tennessee became the first state to ban drag shows in public spaces actively and currently, according to the ACLU, there are 435 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S.

In 2023, with women's rights constantly being questioned by Cisgender white men, I'm sure the wave of homophobic and transphobic organizing won't come as a surprise. However, this is an active plead to Cis women to unite with fellow LGBTQ co-workers, family and friends as allyship from women is critical at this point in time. As history will tell it, much has been achieved on the human rights front for women and the LGBTQ community, but this was done in sole partnership and solidarity. Many of the initiatives have been exclusively focused on the white and white-assuming counterparts of the community, widely leaving problems for other gender and social minorities out of the analysis.

Factually, the mainstream perception of trans and queer people has been shaped by non-trans or Cis people in power who refuse to acknowledge the humanity of trans people — especially Black and Brown people. Instead, lawmakers and others alike have decided to use us as a scapegoat to deter and distract. Meanwhile, Black trans women are still being murdered at an alarming rate before age 35.

In the Black community, there is an underlying, loud notion that Black trans women are attacking and a threat to Cis women and it is my plea that everyone works together to denounce this myth and name who the actual danger is. If transphobes are set on convincing the masses that trans people are on a mission to erase Cis women, as a community, we must work together in tandem to disprove this ugly belief.

We know that Cis women speaking out and using their voices to dismantle trans and homophobic rhetoric is pertinent to the survival of the community — with much emphasis on those who are Black and Brown, who are often left out of these critical conversations at the table.

PS: "Cis" is not a slur.