Imagine waking up every day, living your life the best you can. Going to work, paying your taxes, being a good neighbor and relative and yet every time you turn around you are being told or shown in the news, government legislation and media that you are a problem, that you are unsafe, that you are not real, that you are causing harm to children and families simply because you exist. Trans people have long been the scapegoat for the political and religious tyrants.
Trans rights have been under attack for many years now, but this year Trans rights, pronouns and language definitions, medical care, bathroom access and our even existence is under attack in a way to remove and erase us. In 2026, so far, legislation is being considered across 43 states, as well as nationally in 118 proposed bills. We have seen 1,022 Anti-Trans bills in 2025 with 126 passing, up from 153 Anti-Trans bills in 2021.
In an unprecedented vote your supreme court voted 8-1 that torture labeled as conversion therapy should be legal! I’m sure some of you are asking is that still a thing? Yes, it’s very much still a practice happening under mental health treatment and religious freedoms but is illegal for minors under 18 and banned in over 27 states. Yet, still legal for adults and not federally banned! While we watch these bills be introduced and passed it is our responsibility as Trans adults to fight for each other and our youth. It is the responsibility of our allies and families to have our backs, to talk about these bills and to squash the hate and misnomers about trans people.
Allies, Friends and Family also need to realize these are not just bills that don’t impact or affect you. These are precedents in place for the government to pick and choose when and who loses their rights next or when it fits their narrative. Trans people, your friends and relatives are not safe with this legislation. Many having to choose having to upend and leave their homes and communities to move to states with health care, safety and laws that don’t view them as illegal or revoking driver’s license, birth certificates or identity markers. 39.4% of transgender youth live in states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care. Kansas State has revoked driver’s licenses that don’t match sex at birth markers. Where do we move when there are no safe spaces?!
Thankfully this month we also saw a vote from Montana courts saying that the state constitution fully protects trans rights already. We also see grassroots and nonprofits stepping up and offering more programming for mutual aid, even at the fears of losing funding or nonprofit status. We need to remember that we keep us safe, that we have power as people, communities and allies. Support your trans community, show up fully, we deserve to be elders, we deserve to live in authenticity out loud and make way for our trans youth to have the care they deserve and need to thrive into the future.
If you would like to help The UPRISE Collective support our Trans relatives you can donate to our Trans Care Kits at www.theuprisecollective.org/donate
