| Part of a series on |
| Transgender topics |
|---|
 Category |
"Protect trans kids" is a slogan used in support of the transgender rights movement with a focus on transgender youth. The phrase is often used in protests by transgender rights activists, being placed on signs and shirts. Professional athletes and entertainers have also been documented using or wearing the phrase in support of pro-trans rights sentiments.
One of the earliest documented uses of the phrase came in February 2016, Caitlyn Jenner tweeted "Tell @SDGovDaugaard to protect trans kids by vetoing #HB1008," in reference to South Dakota House Bill 1008. [1] The bill's intended purpose was to restrict transgender students in South Dakota from using bathrooms and locker rooms that did not align with their sex assignment at birth. [1] Later that May, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog —a local news website centering on the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle—covered a local artist who created sigil and glyph art with the intention to "protect trans kids". [2]
The phrase "Protect Trans Kids" became an important slogan and rallying call during protests by trans rights activists in the United States in February 2017, following the Trump administration's revocation of "federal guidance established by the Obama administration that directed schools to allow trans students to use restrooms aligning with their gender identity." [3] [4] The phrase was also used in a high volume as a hashtag (#ProtectTransKids) on Twitter in the days following online rumors and official news reports of the Trump administration's impending rollback. [5] [6] Many public figures and businesses echoed the phrase following the Trump administration's revocation. [7] American singer Ariana Grande, for example, shared a post featuring the "Protect Trans Kids" slogan. [8] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also used the phrase in their online platforms. [9]
The phrase has been used by transgender rights activists, either on signs or vocally via chants, [10] [11] to protest legislation that would ban gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. [12] The phrase is also a common fixture in memes and selfies posted on social media platforms by transgender rights activists speaking out against perceived dangers of trans children toward cisgender children in public restrooms and other facilities. [13]
The use of the phrase on t-shirts has also been noted by media outlets. American schoolteachers have been documented wearing shirts featuring the phrase, in support of their transgender students. [14] Esther Byrd, a member of the Florida Board of Education praised a parent who reported a Tocoi Creek High School teacher as having worn a shirt with the phrase. [15] The teacher did not receive disciplinary action, though changed shirts after the school's principal provided them with another. [16] David Annis, founder of Trans Action Apparel and a Minnesota-based activist, began creating apparel that featured messages supporting transgender and nonbinary individuals, including one shirt featuring the "Protect Trans Kids" phrase. [17] Proceeds from the merchandise being donated to a local LGBTQ advocacy group. [17]
In 2022, American journalist and LGBT rights activist Sue Kerr distributed over 700 signs with the "protect trans kids" phrase throughout Pittsburgh, after a local teenager was the target of transphobic slurs. [18] City councilman Bobby Wilson later proclaimed September 12, 2022, as "Protect Trans Kids Day" in Pittsburgh. [19]
In June 2023, a joint transgender rights advocacy effort by the St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle and the ACLU of Washington projected a light display reading "protect trans kids" on a church in Capitol Hill. [20]
Related phrases such as "Protect Trans Youth", [21] "Protect Trans Students", [22] and "Protect Trans Lives" [20] have also been used in similar manners during protest or to share pro-trans rights sentiments.
Professional athletes and entertainers have been documented wearing clothing sporting the phrase, sometimes as a form of drawing awareness to trans rights issues. One of the earliest instances of this came in 2019 when American actor Don Cheadle wore a black t-shirt with the phrase while hosting on Saturday Night Live . [23] [24] Many viewers positively received Cheadle's statement; the Human Rights Campaign also thanked him in a tweet. [24] Similarly, in February 2023, a member from the American folk rock music duo Indigo Girls wore a t-shirt with the phrase while performing on Tiny Desk Concerts . [25]
During the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, Catarina Macario and Andi Sullivan of the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) wore athletic tape with the phrase around their wrists. The Athletic noted that the players' gesture occurred on the same day that Texas governor Greg Abbott issued a letter to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, asking professionals working with children to report to state authorities regarding the parents of trans children. [26]
In June 2023, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a t-shirt featuring the phrase during a game. The team's social media personnel also posted the phrase in a tweet. [27] Also in June 2023, Seattle Sounders FC sold a scarf with the phrase with proceeds donated to a transgender families support organization. The team's players also posed with the scarf prior to a Major League Soccer (MLS) match. [28] The largest Sounders supporters' group, Emerald City Supporters, also regularly display a "Emerald City Supports Trans Kids" banner at matches. During the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League final at Lumen Field, officials from CONCACAF attempted to remove the banner but were rebuked by Sounders staff. [29]
The phrase has also been used by entertainers outside of wearing it on their clothing. Following the fatal stabbing of Brianna Ghey, a British transgender youth, the phrase was echoed on social media. English singer Yungblud tweeted the phrase, in addition to speaking out against anti-trans sentiments. [30] Actress and comedian Margaret Cho also spoke out about trans issues, stating "We have to protect trans kids' lives" while guest appearing on The View . [31]
Wrestler CM Punk stated that he was criticized for sharing an Instagram post from a Chicago-based ice cream company; the post featured the phrase on an ice cream bar's packaging and also served as a fundraising initiative for the Chicago transgender community. [32]
The phrase was seen in the 2023 animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse , featured written on a transgender flag in the room of Gwen Stacy. [33] The appearance of the flag sporting the phrase was cited as a likely reason why the film had its screening pulled from several theaters in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East. [34] [35]
Writing for National Review , Judson Berger opined that for "sponsors of [...] so-called 'anti-trans' bills" to succeed in passing legislation that calls for "restrictions on medical interventions for minors", they would perhaps have to "adopt, at least in spirit" the "Protect Trans Kids" phrase. [36] Berger additionally cited the opening text of the Idaho bill dubbed the Vulnerable Child Protection Act and wrote "If that's not 'protecting trans kids,' what is?" [36] The opening text of the bill stated that doctors would be barred from "performing surgeries that sterilize or mutilate, or artificially construct tissue with the appearance of genitalia that differs from the child's biological sex." [36] Indeed, upon signing the bill, Idaho's governor Brad Little discussed "protecting minors" from such surgeries or treatment. [36]
Violence against transgender people includes emotional, physical, sexual, or verbal violence targeted towards transgender people. The term has also been applied to hate speech directed at transgender people and at depictions of transgender people in the media that reinforce negative stereotypes about them. Trans and non-binary gender adolescents can experience bashing in the form of bullying and harassment. When compared to their cisgender peers, trans and non-binary gender youth are at increased risk for victimisation, which has been shown to increase their risk of substance abuse.
Matt Walsh is an American right-wing political activist, author, podcaster, and columnist. He is the host of The Matt Walsh Show podcast and is a columnist for the American conservative website The Daily Wire. He has authored four books and starred in The Daily Wire online documentary film What Is a Woman?.
The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Utah have significantly evolved in the 21st century. Protective laws have become increasingly enacted since 2014, despite the state's reputation as socially conservative and highly religious. Utah's anti-sodomy law was invalidated in 2003 by Lawrence v. Texas, and fully repealed by the state legislature in 2019. Same-sex marriage has been legal since the state's ban was ruled unconstitutional by federal courts in 2014. In addition, statewide anti-discrimination laws now cover sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing, and the use of conversion therapy on minors is prohibited. In spite of this, there are still a few differences between the treatment of LGBT people and the rest of the population, and the rights of transgender youth are restricted.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the United States are among the most advanced in the world, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the late 1980s.
In the United States, the rights of transgender people vary considerably by jurisdiction. In recent decades, there has been an expansion of federal, state, and local laws and rulings to protect transgender Americans; however, many rights remain unprotected, and some rights are being eroded. Since 2020, there has been a national movement by conservative/right-wing politicians and organizations to target transgender rights. There has been a steady increase in the number of anti-transgender bills introduced each year, especially in Republican-led states.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. state of Florida have federal protections, but many face legal difficulties on the state level that are not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas on June 26, 2003, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since January 6, 2015. Discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. In addition, several cities and counties, comprising about 55 percent of Florida's population, have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. These include Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, among others. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities in the state, mainly in the Miami metropolitan area, but has been struck down by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. In September 2023, Lake Worth Beach, Florida became an official "LGBT sanctuary city" to protect and defend LGBT rights.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Tennessee may experience some legal challenges that non-LGBT residents do not. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1996. Marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples in Tennessee since the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015.
The Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) is an American self-described radical feminist advocacy organization that opposes transgender rights and related legislation. It has engaged in litigation on transgender topics, working against the Obama administration's Title IX directives which defined sex discrimination to include gender identity. WoLF describes itself as radical feminist, and according to its mission statement, it wishes to "abolish regressive gender roles and the epidemic of male violence using legal arguments, policy advocacy, and public education". It has been described by news sources including The Washington Post, The Advocate and NBC as feminist, but progressive and feminist organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)and the National Organization for Women (NOW) challenge this characterization, with NOW describing WoLF alongside Women's Declaration International as "anti-trans bigots disguised as feminists."
British author J. K. Rowling, writer of Harry Potter and other Wizarding World works, has garnered attention for her support of the Labour Party under Gordon Brown and her criticism of the party under Jeremy Corbyn, as well as her opposition to the American Republican Party under Donald Trump. She opposed Scottish independence in a 2014 referendum and Brexit during the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union.
A bathroom bill is the common name for legislation or a statute that denies access to public toilets by gender or transgender identity. Bathroom bills affect access to sex-segregated public facilities for an individual based on a determination of their sex as defined in some specific way, such as their sex as assigned at birth, their sex as listed on their birth certificate, or the sex that corresponds to their gender identity. A bathroom bill can either be inclusive or exclusive of transgender individuals, depending on the aforementioned definition of their sex.
Title IX of the United States Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination "on the basis of sex" in educational programs and activities that receive financial assistance from the federal government. The Obama administration interpreted Title IX to cover discrimination on the basis of assigned sex, gender identity, and transgender status. The Trump administration determined that the question of access to sex-segregated facilities should be left to the states and local school districts to decide. The validity of the executive's position is being tested in the federal courts.
The social policy of the Donald Trump administration was generally socially conservative. As of 2016, Donald Trump described himself as pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest, and circumstances endangering the life of the mother. He said he was committed to appointing justices who may overturn the ruling in Roe v. Wade. Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices during his presidency. All of them later went on to vote in the majority opinion of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court case overturning Roe v. Wade and ending federal abortion rights nationwide.
Gender Justice League (GJL) is an advocacy group for transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming individuals in Washington State in the United States. The group advocates for transgender legal, political, and medical rights as well as participating in protests, awareness raising, and fundraising events.
Transgender rights in the United Kingdom have varied significantly over time, with transgender Britons facing many issues not experienced by non-trans individuals. These include various laws and public attitudes in regards to identity documents, as well as anti-discrimination measures used by or pertaining to transgender people, in the areas of employment, education, housing and social services, amongst others.
The legal and regulatory history of transgender and transsexual people in the United States begins in the 1960s. Such legislation covers federal, state, municipal, and local levels, as well as military justice. It reflects broader societal attitudes which have shifted significantly over time and have impacted legislative and judicial outcomes.
The LGB Alliance is a British advocacy group and registered charity founded in 2019 in opposition to the policies of LGBT rights charity Stonewall on transgender issues. Its founders are Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, Allison Bailey, Malcolm Clark and Ann Sinnott. The organisation has said that lesbians are facing "extinction" because of the "disproportionate" focus on transgender identities in schools.
Amber Briggle is an American activist based in Denton, Texas and a founding member of the Human Rights Campaign Parents for Transgender Equality National Council.
Transphobia in the United States has changed over time. Understanding and acceptance of transgender people have both decreased and increased during the last few decades depending on the details of the issues which have been facing the public. Various governmental bodies in the United States have enacted anti-transgender legislation. Social issues in the United States also reveal a level of transphobia. Because of transphobia, transgender people in the U.S. face increased levels of violence and intimidation. Cisgender people can also be affected by transphobia.
Clara Sorrenti, better known as Keffals, is a Canadian Twitch streamer, transgender activist, left-wing political commentator and former candidate of the Communist Party of Canada. She has since ended her affiliation with the Communist Party.
The 2020s anti-LGBT movement in the United States is an ongoing political backlash from social conservatives against LGBT people. It has included legislative proposals of bathroom use restrictions, bans on gender-affirming care, anti-LGBT curriculum laws, laws against drag performances, book bans, boycotts, and conspiracy theories around grooming. Between 2018 and 2023, hundreds of anti-LGBT laws were considered, with more than one hundred passed into law.
