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Transgender youth are terrified of Donald Trump — but they're not losing hope (exclusive)

marchers holding giant transgender flag says protect trans youth LGBTQIA pride parade from above

Glen Sterling/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Ahead of the inauguration, The Advocate asked young trans people about the biggest challenges facing them – and what the rest of us can do to help.

It’s not lost on transgender youth that they “shouldn't have to feel like this” after an election.

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President-elect Donald Trump will soon begin his second term, which already poses greater threats to the LGBTQ+ community than his first – particularly to the trans community, which has seen skyrocketing attacks on their bathroom use, sports participation, health care, and beyond in just the past few years, most of which has targeted youth.

As restrictive state laws stand on the brink of becoming national, lawmakers and many in the mainstream media refuse to consider the voices of actual trans people. To bridge this gap, The Advocate asked young trans people about the biggest challenges facing them – and what the rest of us can do to help. The respondents are remaining anonymous out of an abundance of caution for their personal safety.

queer nonbinary transgender youth political illustration Nadia Snopek/shutterstock

Trans youth shared a widespread sense of exhaustion and disillusionment when Trump’s victory was announced. C, an 18-year-old trans woman, said that she “was able to vote for the first time, and I was really excited because it was my first time.” For those her age, today’s era of polarization and opportunism has been their introduction to politics.

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“I shouldn't have to feel like this at only 18 years old,” she says. “These conservatives and these lawmakers, for whatever reason, are really trying to put our lives at stake essentially and put our hearts in front of them. They want to be in control of how we live."

C says she has been taking things “day by day” and focusing on the little things that bring her joy following the election, a strategy many are turning to to retain hope. D, a 19-year-old trans man, says that he has been “feeling mostly exhausted” since the election, as well as “confused about how this has happened and keeps happening.” On a deeper level, he has also been grappling with how “the work I have been doing advocating for a broader understanding of transgender individuals suddenly [feels] inadequate.”

“It is so easy to get swept up in feeling the dark emotions and feeling like there's nothing we can do. It is very important that we allow ourselves the space and time to feel joy in some way,” D says, adding. “It took me finding joy in the little things where I feel like I'm able to still live my life and do what I can to make a difference.”

young queer nonbinary group marching in LGBTQIA pride parade with rainbow flag capes Marc Bruxelle/shutterstock

These youth are acutely aware of how they had to come of age in an era hostile to their existence, in which the elected officials tasked with protecting them have instead used their power to hurt them. To S, a 20-year-old trans man, “it's exhausting to feel like our existence is constantly up for debate,” and it’s “really disheartening to see political leaders targeting people like me.” Still, he says he won’t let it stop him from doing the work that needs to be done.

“As much as sometimes I just want to wallow in those feelings, I also feel really determined and almost inspired. I'm inspired by the resilience of the trans community and our allies,” S says. “Every day I'm seeing people stand up to push against the misunderstanding and hate towards our community, whether it's through advocacy and education, work, or simply living authentically.”

The biggest concerns trans youth have now are access to gender-affirming care, and safety. As someone who “passes,” D says that he’s not as worried about a random assault as much as he is about having to hide who he is just to participate in his community.

“I am concerned about my personal safety in terms of just being someone who identifies as transgender and like moving through the world,” he explains. “What I'm scared of is feeling so unsafe that I don't even want to share that part of me.”

As an adult in a state where it is not restricted, D says that he is not worried about his own access, but rather for other trans kids who won’t be able to receive it. He recalls being “uncomfortable in my own body” at age 11 due to gender dysphoria, which also caused him to be unable to sleep, cry “all the time,” and feel “like there's no point at all in life.”

“I would very much not be here if it were not for the gender-affirming care I received,” D says. “The thought that really terrifies me most is all of those young people who are feeling the exact same thing I was feeling at that age and do not have the support.”

transgender teen at doctor visit for gender affirming care shutterstock creative

S also voiced extreme concern over a potential national gender-affirming care ban, as he says “legislation that targets healthcare access, such as gender firming care bans, is life-threatening for transgender individuals.” This is true – The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the World Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all agree that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and medically necessary for both adults and youth.

Beyond the effect a ban would have on mental health, S worries “about the mental health toll of living under constant attack, especially for transgender and nonbinary youth who might not have the love and support that they deserve from their communities.” Now is the time that he believes “more than ever, trans and nonbinary youth need unwavering support and affirmation from their family, friends, and community.”

“What people can do is just support our trans and nonbinary peers and friends, let them know that we're in this battle together, because constant support is needed,” C adds. “Ensure that we still feel like we belong and that we are loved, even during these really difficult times that we're going to experience.”

“It's really important that people see us as just human, because we have so many things that excite us. I don't want people to only see that there's only one thing to meet, because I'm so much more than that,” she continues.

However, there is only so much that interpersonal support can do in the face of legislative attacks. S says that “from elected officials, trans youth need policies that prioritize their safety and well-being, such as policy supporting access to proper health care and protection in schools and even beyond.” He believes officials also need to play a bigger role in the ongoing culture war by “amplifying positive narratives about trans people and actively working to combat the misinformation that fuels the discrimination and hate towards individuals like me.”

US Rep Mark Pocan speaks at a press conference on LGBTQI rights at the Capitol building on March 08 2023 Washington DC Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“Trans people are not political pawns,” S says. “If lawmakers are truly concerned about protecting youth, they should focus on issues like reducing poverty, increasing access to education, and addressing gun violence.”

D wants to take it a step further – he has invited any of “these lawmakers who are putting forth this misinformation about trans people to come spend a day with me.” While he doesn’t “have much faith that lawmakers will do any different,” D says: “I want them to see me for who I am.”

Though they have not felt very hopeful lately, no one has said that they believe the situation is hopeless. For C – who repeats the mantra “we are here and we have always been here” – the trans community and their allies “will come out of it stronger.”

“If we keep speaking up during these difficult times and really show these people that, at the end of the day, I'm just a teenage girl and I'm so blessed to be transgender … That’s the truth and that’s not stopping,” she says.

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