Definitions:
In this article, transgender is used as an umbrella term to describe someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not conform to those typically associated with the gender they were told they were at birth. The term trans may be used interchangeably with the term transgender. The term gender ideology is frequently debated for its lack of a coherent definition. We know the origins of the term can be traced back to an umbrella term used by the Holy See, lumping together feminism, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. The “Human Rights Watch” (HRW) states it was a “[…] reaction against the rights of women and expanding protections for sexual and gender minorities.” Today, it has become a weaponized term by conservatives and the anti-gender movement; academic Agnieszka Graff describes it as a, “great name for all that conservative Catholics despise.”
Three weeks have passed since the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Two Spirit, transgender, and gender non-conforming (2STGNC) sophomore at Owasso High School in Tulsa Oklahoma. In the aftermath, “The Rainbow Youth Project” reported a 500% increase in the number of phone calls it received in their call crisis center. According to the “National Library of Medicine,” “[…] 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.” At the time of composing this article, “Trans Legislation Tracker” has tracked 495 anti-transgender bills, proposed by GOP state legislators, across 41 states in 2024 alone. It is time for us to recognize this profound correlation and hold GOP state legislators responsible for engaging in state-sponsored terrorism.