We’re living in a time of unprecedented anti-trans violence in America, and as predicted, some of that violence is finding its way overseas.
While the state of Texas is trying to criminalize trans existence and deny hormones for trans youth and adults, somewhere in Sweden, a trans girl had male pronouns carved into her locker.
“Came out recently-ish,” a poster wrote on Reddit recently. “Trans fem. 18. My preferred pronouns are she/her. Wasn’t very supportive. Most people used my preferred pronouns outa [sic] courtesy. Some didn’t… but it’s fine. Ironically enough, im [sic] mostly bullied by the LGBTQ population at my school. I don’t really fit the stereotype so they ostracize me.”
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The original poster lives and attends school in Sweden, where LGBTQ+ rights have tended to be progressive compared to most other European countries. However, in 2023, the country started rolling back access to gender-affirming care for teens, using the same junk science reasoning as certain anti-trans measures in the U.S. that cite the (much debunked) Cass Report.
It’s also possible that the wave of anti-trans legislation in the US in the past few years has emboldened conservative politicians in other countries. Whatever the reason, this poster no sooner came out as transfemme than fell victim to an anti-trans hate crime by her peers. She reported having her locker vandalized with her dead name and incorrect pronouns carved into it.
Other Redditors responded with sympathy and clear advice. “I’d contact the school and have them replace the locker at your school and get those kids in trouble for vandalism,” one poster wrote. Whether it’s a case of teens being jerks, anti-trans violence picking up in recent months, or both, there are steps to take when things like this happen in public places and to private (or public) property.
“Scratch the transphobic rhetoric away or throw some stickers over it,” someone else suggested. “Better yet stickers that leave behind tons of residue and stuff when you try rip it off. if they do anything more you could really f*ck with them back, like slathering the outside of your locker door in vaseline or something.”
Absolutely. If people are going to be awful, you can fight back in whatever way feels right. Make it a locker battle royale! But prioritize your safety as well.
One poster’s response put everything into context. “I understand what it’s like to be ridiculed by your own community!” they wrote, “especially in school. In highschool (US) my application to join the gay straight alliance was denied because I wasn’t “cool enough”. I’ve been met with the “you’re not trans enough” rhetoric too…I dunno if you’ll see my comment in the sea of others, but if you do end up reading this i just want you to know that you have something they don’t have. You have the ability to just f*cking exist. All of those asshats are so caught up in their little worlds they fail to see the greater picture, that we are a community. Keep being you in your own way.”
Period! Kids can be cruel, anti-trans rhetoric is everywhere, but one thing we can do for ourselves is appreciate our own resilience and keep in mind the fact that even if they’re loud and scary right now, we’re winning just by being ourselves.
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