It seems impossible that we’d get here, but here we are. Last night’s election results aren’t what anyone in the trans community wanted, but we nevertheless had to wake up today and find a way to exist in a country that just put its hate for us on full blast.
Trump’s win brings up so much anxiety in trans folks. It’s not only that Republicans are going to be embolded by the success of a campaign that ran on anti-trans concerns: the taking of the House and the Senate means that the Affordable Care Act could be rolled back easily, forcing us to pay for HRT out of pocket. It’s a terrifying possibility for so many of us, as is forced detransition in some states.
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It’s looking like the horrible thing is really happening
That’s why trans folks are showing up for each other on TikTok today with a strong message: don’t give up.
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Suicidal ideation is something that plagues our community at the best of times. A study from last year showed that 81% of transgender adults in the U.S. have considered suicide, 42% of transgender adults have attempted it, and 56% have engaged in self-harm practices.
But even if you struggle with suicidal ideation every day, trans folks are reaching out to each other to remind us to keep going.
It might feel like we’re alone in a country that hates us, but we’re not alone. We have each other.
We have to keep going, for each other.
Even more importantly, we need to live long enough to become queer elders.
“You have to live” is the message right now. We will get through this and we will grow old together.
We might not feel like it, but we have to keep going. There are future generations that depend on us. We can’t let them down.
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