The Next Four Years?

When I was 6 years old we lived in Germany. My dad was stationed there. One thing he did was to take me to see films of the camps and I have never forgotten those images. Even at that young age I knew there was something terribly wrong about seeing skeletons in ovens, emaciated bodies piled high, and mass graves. It’s probably not a recommended means of presenting that lesson to a young child, but he wanted me to understand what had happened. Over the years he continued to teach me about the dangers of hate coming to power.

We frequently had people over to our house for holidays, and it wasn’t until later that I was able to appreciate the fact that those people included those from all over the world and not just white people. In the mid ‘60s we lived in the south and I got to see segregation and Klan marches and hear of church bombings, and hear the hate filled rhetoric of bigots. Later in that decade a friend and I stumbled upon a Klan gathering and cross burning in some woods and fields we roamed in. I remember the white robes and the sound of someone saying “They’ve seen us. Get them!” Thankfully we knew this area well and managed to evade our pursuers.

This childhood served to make me a student of history and so I learned about the internment camps for Japanese Americans, the government “Indian Schools” where Native American children were essentially imprisoned and forced to adopt white culture, the forced sterilization of those deemed unfit, the Tuskegee Experiment, human radiation experiments, how those of us in LGBTQ community were considered mentally ill and criminals, and used to be arrested and jailed, and other things done and sanctioned by our government for some supposedly greater good.

Now, after the election I find myself increasingly worried at this growing white nationalism that is sweeping our country and has placed Mr. Trump into office. I hear people say it’s not going to be that bad, but I, like so many others, am worried. I know that at its core the GOP is ruled by a group of people who believe they have their god on their side and a mandate from him and millions of Americans to “make America Great Again.” And I know that for them, part of that is to eliminate or at least neutralize those they see as a threat, which is basically anyone who is not a cisgendered heterosexual white Christian (as they define that word) American citizen. For these people those of us in the LGBTQ community are “sinners” at best and at worst we are demonic evil beings that need to be exterminated. According to them our very existence is a threat to the nation and Western Civilization. I hear them speak of our alleged “agenda,” which they claim is to take over the country and persecute Christians while coercing children into becoming gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people. That latter part reminds me of the blood libel about how Jews allegedly used the blood of Christian children to make matzah. Their whole view of us reminds me of Nazi propaganda depicting Jews as vermin, as “untermensch,” that is, sub-human, and the antisemitic laws that legalized their persecution.

Mr. Trump has seemingly dialed down his rhetoric of hate since winning the election and this is supposedly evidence that it is not going to be that bad and that we should just get over it. Yet I am aware of the choices the man is making for cabinet positions and appointments, and the people he is choosing suggests otherwise. As of the time this was written Pink News carried a story that every one of Mr Trump’s cabinet appointments is opposed to LGBTQ rights. Also, it is likely that whatever replaces the Affordable Care Act will have religious or conscience clauses that will allow providers to deny services (i.e., discriminate) based on their religious convictions (i.e., prejudices), and will contain exclusions for trans specific care. Basically, I believe the rhetoric has been dialed back so that he can focus on getting all his players strategically positioned before he starts making good on the promises of hate he repeatedly delivered during his campaign.

Like others in the transgender community, I believe we will be the first group targeted. We are the smallest, have the least power, and seem to inspire a special level of hatred amongst the hatin’ for Jesus folk and other Trump supporting hate groups like the Klan. And a quick “victory” will encourage and rally them to press on in their crusade. But it won’t stop with us. The remaining members of the LGBTQ community will come next or will get targeted along side us. Those who point to Mr Trump’s concession that marriage equality is “settled” would do well to remember that, for now, the 5 justices who ruled in favor still sit on the bench, so he really doesn’t have much choice but to accept it. While this should give us some measure of relief, it is worth noting that it is highly likely that one or more of these justices will retire during his term and the kinds of people he has promised to appoint will not hesitate to reverse what people like Ted Cruz call “judicial tyranny,” by which they mean LGBTQ rights, amongst other things. After they have dealt with us they will go after their other targets.

And so, here at the end of 2016, as a 60 year old transgender woman, for the first time in my life I am afraid of my government and the actions it may inspire amongst some of its citizens. And I know I am not alone. I do not believe that the decrease in hate speech signals anything other than the calm before the storm. I hope with all my heart that my fears will be proven unfounded and several months from now you will all be laughing that I was such a “Chicken Little.” In the meantime I should like to suggest that members of our community might want to make some arrangements just in case, e.g., actions like legal name and gender changes, updated identity documents, securing access to appropriate healthcare — if possible, learning what anti-discrimination laws (if any) protect you in your own state, basic self defense skills (though know that a single course does not a ninja make), etc. Until we know how things will play out, I offer that it would be a good idea to adopt and practice the Girl Scout motto and “Be prepared”.

And always, keep calm, be strong, and be a girl!

Tags: featured, opinion, politics, Transgender

Category: Transgender Opinion, Transgender Politics