Trans fightback in the US: an interview with Reform and Revolution
Rupture is pleased to publish this interview by Sarah Milner, a revolutionary socialist and trans-liberation activist and an active member of Reform and Revolution, our sister group in the US.
What form has the right-wing culture war attacks against trans people in the US taken, such as the 'Bathroom bills' and attacks on trans athletes?
All attacks on trans people in the U.S. have to be understood in the context of our for-profit healthcare system. The biggest barrier to trans care is cost. Being trans means on top of the already rising costs in this country, you have to spend thousands of dollars extra—not just on healthcare, but on clothes, products to change your appearance, haircuts, etc. These are also related to our health—not only is it important when you are dysphoric, there is also a direct relationship between how dangerous it is to be openly trans and how little one is able to prepare their presentation. And then on top of that, we are less likely to be employed or have good jobs. So transitioning in the U.S. is something that happens under a lot of pressure.
The most aggressive right-wing attacks lately have been on schools. They have convinced themselves that schools and teachers are tricking people into coming out. This has been utilized by the right a lot, as teachers unions are one of the stronger unionized sectors and command a huge amount of respect in society. There are these popular right-wing accounts on social media which will highlight schools. Maybe a class had a pride day, or maybe it’s something as simple as a teacher having dyed hair. The right-wing accounts will post about it, and then the schools will get bomb threats.
“It’s hard to explain to an audience that isn’t trans how profound the experience of gender dysphoria is. At least for me, it was a lifelong, debilitating sense of dread every time I looked at myself. It was almost unbearable. It impacted every aspect of my life. And then I transitioned and suddenly things got better.”
Beyond being used as a wedge issue, the ideological features of the right’s attacks are probably the most dangerous. Right wingers have essentially moved to denying the existence of trans people. It’s hard to explain to an audience that isn’t trans how profound the experience of gender dysphoria is. At least for me, it was a lifelong, debilitating sense of dread every time I looked at myself. It was almost unbearable. It impacted every aspect of my life. And then I transitioned and suddenly things got better. Medical science recognizes that hundreds of people have experiences like that—the right is trying to deny that. So essentially, they are trying to argue that there is no reason for someone to transition. It’s pretty clear a large chunk of the American right wants to make it impossible to transition.
Even that is only part of the right’s ideas. The attacks on trans people are part of a growing movement to establish rigidly enforced gender roles.
What is the state of trans healthcare in the US currently? How does the attacks on reproductive rights link to the attack from trans healthcare?
As I mentioned, trans healthcare is tied up in the private health care system in the US. Accessibility varies wildly state to state. One of the most important providers is Planned Parenthood. That's where I get my HRT prescribed. At least in Oregon, when you’ve got a prescription, you can get it called into your local pharmacy. But transition care isn’t just HRT. There’s also electrolysis, facial feminization surgery, sexual reassignment surgery, voice training, and puberty blockers. And that’s not to mention the other, non-medical parts of transitioning. Shaving, haircuts, makeup, and how you shape your eyelashes and eyebrows all have a major impact on your transition, even though none of them are considered medical. Each trans person may get some combination of these things, and which parts are most important vary dramatically person to person. Getting a haircut used to make me physically ill—I’d dread the feeling for weeks. Imagine how it feels to, every day, look at your face and feel like something is wrong! Going to a hairdresser who specializes in transfemme haircuts has made my life substantially better. Those are the sorts of things that exist in the ‘grey-zone’ of trans care, where they’re vital to many people’s transition, but they aren’t officially considered medical.
“There are three big impediments to getting trans healthcare. The worst is outright bans. This is most common in bans for minors. A lot of states are attacking young people’s rights to transition, and trying to ban all levels of transition care for minors. ”
There are three big impediments to getting trans healthcare. The worst is outright bans. This is most common in bans for minors. A lot of states are attacking young people’s rights to transition, and trying to ban all levels of transition care for minors. This is a massive risk to the health and safety of young trans people. Going through the wrong puberty as a trans person is one of the most torturous experiences imaginable. I’m not going to wade too deeply into the discussion of minors transitioning, I’ll simply share my own experience. I transitioned when I was 23. That was when my life started. Before I came out, I couldn’t form close connections to people, I always felt nervous and afraid in public spaces, I never felt truly happy. I lost all my teenage years living with that dread. I’ll never get to have the experiences I lost. Had I transitioned when I was younger, I would’ve had a youth. When young people are banned from transitioning, that’s what is taken from them.
Another barrier is cost and access. HRT can cost hundreds of dollars for each new refill if you don’t have insurance. Electrolysis can cost thousands of dollars, FFS can cost tens of thousands. Again, it’s important to remember, trans people are disproportionately likely to be unemployed or working in low wage jobs. On top of this, our care is only intermittently covered in insurance policies. Life-saving surgeries are treated as “optional” and “cosmetic.” Trans care is not covered, or not fully covered in a lot of unions or state health plans. Even in states where our rights aren’t banned, barriers are put up: long wait times, doctors instructed to read scripts written to dissuade us, shutting down offices, and so on. On top of this, the actual prescriptions, doses, and research can often be misapplied. So even if you get a doctor and prescription, it’s no guarantee you’ll get the treatment you need. All of this leads to people needing to rely on DIY HRT, or sharing their prescriptions.
But the biggest barrier to trans healthcare is transphobia itself. Even people who could transition convince themselves it’s impossible. They are pressured by school, family, churches or work to stay in the closet. No matter how difficult transitioning is, it is possible, and it does make your life better. The whole system of oppression that tries to lock people into living a certain way is predicated on people believing in it. This is part of why conservatives so aggressively attack trans rights, I believe. When you see someone transition, and realize it’s possible, it changes your whole understanding of gender and social relations. Something which seemed immutable and inevitable turns out to be completely within our control. This is true for everyone, not just trans people.
Is 'Transgender Exclusionary Radical Feminism' a force in the US as it is in other countries, such as the UK?
It would be helpful to define our terms here. TERFism as a specific ideology is one thing, but TERF has become a colloquial phrase people use to just describe any transphobe. In truth, the term may not make a great deal of sense to use in its original context anymore. When the radical feminist movement began, it was possible for someone to actually be a part of the feminist movement while still holding essentialist views on gender. Now, transphobia is so much a product of the right wing that almost anyone who campaigns on transphobia will be drawn to the right. So it is not really possible for someone to be a feminist while being a transphobe. Some people claim to be that, but it is like conservatives who claim to be feminists while opposing abortion.
The American feminist movement peaked with enormous strength in 2017, when the Women’s March became the largest protest in American history, and the MeToo movement began, exposing how extensive sexual harassment and assault was across American society. The dominant ideology of these movements was liberal intersectionality. This is better than a narrow focus on just one issue, it meant that most feminists were also consciously supporting racial equality, queer rights, and other social issues. It meant many participants were predisposed to support other more radical protests later. But this approach still has some major issues. Unfortunately, the power of the feminist movement quickly faded, as it became increasingly tied up with the Democratic party. So, we are fortunate not to have a strong presence of TERFs in the United States. Unfortunately, we have plenty of ordinary reactionaries who just openly hate all women, cis and trans. And what we lack is a strong, left wing movement, which sees capitalism as the force unifying our oppressions.
It’s also important to be clear that, while TERFism isn’t that strong in America, most cis people in the U.S. don’t really understand trans issues. The average American is somewhere between confused but positive, and generally apathetic about trans rights. This is certainly better than open hostility. It means the Republican attacks on us often look hysterical and out of touch. In 2022, Republicans focused relentlessly on attacking trans rights, only to arrive at the worst midterm results for an opposition party since the 1930s. It was a pretty humiliating result, and it shows that obsessing over trans people is more bizarre and off-putting to voters than actually being trans is.
What has the attitude been of the Democratic Party?
The attitude of the Democratic Party towards trans rights has been pretty similar to the attitude of the Democrats on basically every major issue. A lot of rhetoric, not much action.
To be clear, it could be far worse. Any honest evaluation of trans rights has to start by looking at the huge gap between the two parties. Democrats by and large acknowledge trans identity as legitimate, and think we should be allowed to live our lives. Most Democrats have been negatively polarized into supporting trans rights, in part because they hate the people who hate us, which is a lot better than constantly trying to throw us under the bus, which is definitely what some parts of the party would prefer.
But that’s where the support stops. Democrats oppose things which would actively make our lives worse than they already are. But the reality is, our rights are being rolled back, and the Democratic fight back stops the second it would require challenging the actual system which is oppressing us. Our unelected supreme court regularly tramples on not only trans rights, but labor rights, abortion rights, and democracy. Instead of fighting the court, Democrats meekly accept its rulings. Instead of challenging Red States when they restrict trans rights, the government has taken a hands-off approach. The Democratic Party likes to use it as a political cudgel, but they aren’t really helping us.
What role has the labour movement played in the fight against the trans backlash?
Trans rights have unfortunately historically been something the American labor movement is really bad on. Since there’s always been a strain of the labor movement here which views their role as deeply connected to patriarchal ideas of the male breadwinner in the nuclear family.
The good news though, is this has really begun to change. To use a personal example, my union, NALC, constantly positively impacts my work as a trans person. They helped me get a women’s uniform, they will work to protect me from harassment on my route or at the office, I’m able to use my chosen name in union work, and I feel comfortable being out, and visibly trans at union meetings. Most importantly for me, my contract covers trans healthcare thanks to my union. As a trans person, you want to have a union job. And if you support trans rights, you should support unions.
“Trans rights can be a strong part of this. It’s a good issue through which we can politicize unions. Rank and file trans workers can use their personal experiences to help point unions towards taking a more active politicized role.”
There are two problems though. A lot of union leaders take a very limited approach to politics. They argue that their job is narrowly organizing for the interests of their members. They say that it is not their place to wade into “political issues.” Unfortunately, being trans means your whole life is a political issue. Unions could be educating and mobilizing their members around trans and women’s rights, organizing rallies against trans bans, and even considering political strikes on the issue. But that would require a more expansive vision of the role of unions. That’s part of why it’s important that socialists engage in rank and file labor struggles, and join unions, to try and help organized labor fulfill its role leading the fight for the whole working class.
Trans rights can be a strong part of this. It’s a good issue through which we can politicize unions. Rank and file trans workers can use their personal experiences to help point unions towards taking a more active politicized role. It’s important that, while we organize social movements, we aim to connect them to the labor movement, and emphasize the importance of class struggle as a way to achieve liberation. This is a key part of our Marxist method—the idea that we find our power through class based organizing.