Our existence isn't new, but now transgender people are visible like never before
When we were growing up in the 1990s, the mere existence of transgender kids was an unthinkable reality. The only depictions of transgender people, if there were any, made us out to be a joke, an oddity, disgusting, or all three.
It was far more common for transgender people to be fired from jobs, denied housing or face violence just by walking down the street. We still face that now, but after all these years, things are getting better.
We know the vast majority of people in our country support transgender people, and that support is increasing. Generation Z accepts transgender people at a higher rate and identifies as transgender more than any other generation. We’ve made incredible progress in building a shared understanding of who transgender people are – our lives, our dreams, our stories.
Paving the way for transgender youths
It may surprise you to know that transgender people have always been here. We are artists, engineers, politicians, parents and everything in between. Our existence is not new, but the increasing visibility of transgender adults has paved the way for transgender young people to now come out and speak out like never before.
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Unfortunately, some politicians have decided trans youths should not be celebrated for the beautiful people they are, and instead are using them as a wedge issue. We've recently seen an unprecedented wave of anti-transgender political attacks in states across the country, as politicians push policies that restrict transgender youths' access to best-practice health care and participation in school sports.
We believe kids should be able to live their lives free of harassment and achieve whatever they put their minds to. That's why this legislation is so horrifying – it singles out transgender youths and puts a target on their backs.
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The current wave of anti-transgender bills isn’t an attack on transgender people alone. It’s an attack on all of our freedoms and our democratic ideals as a nation. We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter who we are.
As longtime advocates for transgender rights, we work with people from all walks of life, from all across the political spectrum, to fight for policies that make sure all people are treated fairly. And in recent weeks, we’ve seen even more proof that this isn’t a partisan issue. Republican governors in states like Utah and Indiana have vetoed bills that try to exploit misunderstanding of transgender people as an excuse to extend government control over individuals' personal lives.
Quit attacking our young
Ahead of the midterms, politicians will surely continue attacking transgender kids in the hopes of riling up their base, but we can't fall prey to their dangerous rhetoric and misinformation. As transgender adults, we say no more.
No matter what anti-transgender legislation passes, transgender people will continue to exist. Like we have throughout history, we will support one another regardless of the constraints of those who seek to silence us. The beauty and vibrancy of this community cannot be stamped out by hateful politicians looking to score political points.
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On Transgender Day of Visibility and beyond, we all have a responsibility to support the transgender people who are our friends, neighbors, classmates, co-workers and even strangers. We have a responsibility to speak out against these attacks on transgender youths because they are an attack on all youths.
You don’t have to be an expert on transgender rights to lend your voice to the movement for justice for all people.
Vivian Topping (she/they) is director of advocacy and civic engagement for the Equality Federation, the national strategic partner to a coalition of more than 40 state-based organizations working to win equality for LGBTQ+ communities.
Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen (he/him) is executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the nation's leading organization dedicated to advancing equal rights and opportunities for transgender people.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Transgender Day of Visibility: Support trans kids' safety and freedom
