Trans Rights Are Human Rights: Supporting Our Trans Family
June 10, 2025
In all my years advocating for sexual liberation and authentic living, I've learned that the most marginalized members of our community often carry the heaviest load in the fight for everyone's freedom. Today, we need to talk honestly about the crisis facing transgender individuals—and why supporting trans rights isn't just about helping one community, but about defending the fundamental principles of bodily autonomy and self-determination that affect us all.
The Current Reality for Trans People
Let's start with the truth: transgender individuals are under unprecedented attack in 2025. Across the country, we're seeing a coordinated assault on trans rights that includes:
Healthcare bans that deny gender-affirming medical care to both adults and youth
Bathroom restrictions that criminalize basic bodily functions
Sports exclusions that isolate trans youth from community and physical activity
Educational censorship that erases trans experiences from curricula and libraries
Employment discrimination that makes economic survival difficult
Family separation through custody laws that punish parents who support their trans children
Violence and harassment that has reached epidemic levels
This isn't happening in isolation—it's part of a broader attack on sexual and gender minorities that threatens all of our freedoms.
Understanding Trans Experiences
Before we can be effective allies, we need to understand what we're actually talking about when we discuss transgender identity. Being transgender means that your internal sense of gender doesn't align with the sex you were assigned at birth. This isn't:
A choice or preference (any more than being left-handed is a choice)
A mental illness (the medical community has been clear on this)
A phase or confusion (though understanding one's identity can be a process)
About sexual orientation (trans people can be straight, gay, bisexual, or any other orientation)
Always about medical transition (some trans people pursue surgery or hormones, others don't)
What it is:
A fundamental aspect of identity that affects how someone experiences themselves and moves through the world
Often evident from early childhood, though people may not have language for it until later
Requiring social recognition and support for mental health and wellbeing
Deserving of the same dignity and rights as any other aspect of human diversity
How Transphobia Affects Everyone's Sexual Freedom
Here's something that might not be immediately obvious: when we allow society to police transgender people's bodies and identities, we give that same society permission to police all of our bodies and sexualities. The arguments used against trans rights are the same ones used to restrict everyone's sexual and reproductive freedom:
Biological Essentialism: The claim that anatomy determines destiny, used to justify everything from denying trans people healthcare to restricting women's reproductive choices.
Protecting Children: The false concern for children's welfare, used to censor sex education, restrict access to contraception, and criminalize age-appropriate discussions of sexuality and gender.
Religious Freedom: The weaponization of faith to deny basic civil rights, affecting not just trans people but anyone whose sexuality doesn't conform to conservative religious standards.
Parental Rights: The claim that parents should control their children's access to information and healthcare, which has been used to restrict everything from sex education to birth control access.
Traditional Values: The nostalgic appeal to an imagined past that never existed, used to justify discrimination against anyone who doesn't fit narrow definitions of acceptable gender and sexuality.
When we allow these arguments to succeed against transgender people, we strengthen them for use against all sexual minorities.
The Intersection of Trans Liberation and Sexual Freedom
As someone who's spent decades fighting for sexual autonomy and authentic expression, I see clear connections between trans liberation and the broader struggle for sexual freedom:
Bodily Autonomy: Both movements assert the right to make your own decisions about your body, whether that's accessing gender-affirming care or controlling your reproductive choices.
Self-Determination: Both recognize that individuals are the best experts on their own experiences and should have the right to define themselves rather than being defined by others.
Medical Freedom: Both challenge medical gatekeeping that denies people access to healthcare based on moral judgments rather than medical need.
Authentic Expression: Both support the right to express your true self, whether that's your gender identity or your sexuality, without facing discrimination or violence.
Community Support: Both rely on chosen family and supportive communities when biological families and mainstream institutions fail to provide acceptance.
Practical Ways to Support Trans People
Supporting transgender individuals requires moving beyond good intentions to concrete actions:
Use Correct Names and Pronouns: This costs you nothing but can significantly impact someone's mental health and sense of safety. When you make mistakes (and you will), apologize briefly and move on.
Educate Yourself: Don't put the burden on trans people to educate you. Read books, articles, and resources created by trans people themselves. Listen to their stories and experiences.
Speak Up Against Transphobia: Whether it's a "joke" among friends or discriminatory policies in your workplace, use your voice to challenge transphobic attitudes and actions.
Support Trans-Led Organizations: Donate money, time, or resources to organizations run by transgender people who understand community needs best.
Advocate for Inclusive Policies: Push for nondiscrimination protections, inclusive healthcare coverage, and other policies that protect trans people's rights.
Create Inclusive Spaces: Whether in your workplace, social groups, or community organizations, work to make spaces welcoming and safe for transgender people.
Support Trans Artists and Businesses: Economic support helps trans people achieve financial stability while amplifying their voices and contributions.
Healthcare and Trans Rights
One of the most critical battlegrounds for trans rights is healthcare access. Gender-affirming care isn't cosmetic or optional—it's medically necessary treatment that dramatically reduces suicide risk and improves quality of life for transgender people.
The medical consensus is clear:
Gender-affirming care is safe and effective when provided by qualified professionals
Denial of care causes significant harm including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation
Youth deserve age-appropriate care that may include social transition, puberty blockers, or hormone therapy
Adults should have access to the full range of gender-affirming treatments
When we allow politicians to interfere with the doctor-patient relationship for transgender people, we set a precedent that threatens everyone's medical privacy and autonomy.
The Violence Crisis
Transgender people, particularly trans women of color, face epidemic levels of violence and murder. In 2024, we lost more trans people to violence than any previous year on record. This violence doesn't happen in a vacuum—it's fueled by:
Dehumanizing rhetoric from politicians and media figures
Discriminatory laws that treat trans people as second-class citizens
Social stigma that makes trans people vulnerable to exploitation
Systemic barriers that limit trans people's economic and social opportunities
Inadequate law enforcement response that fails to protect trans people or hold perpetrators accountable
Every time we fail to stand up for trans rights, we contribute to a culture that sees trans people as disposable.
Trans Youth and Family Support
Perhaps no issue is more urgent than supporting transgender youth, who face unique vulnerabilities and challenges:
Family Acceptance: Family support is the single most important factor in trans youth mental health. When families are supportive, suicide risk drops dramatically.
School Safety: Trans students need safe, inclusive school environments where they can learn without harassment or discrimination.
Healthcare Access: Age-appropriate gender-affirming care can be lifesaving for trans youth, while denial of care increases risk of self-harm.
Legal Protection: Trans youth need legal protections from discrimination in education, healthcare, and other essential services.
Community Support: When families struggle to be supportive, community organizations and chosen family become crucial lifelines.
The Role of Allies in Trans Liberation
Being an effective ally to transgender people requires ongoing commitment and willingness to center trans voices rather than your own comfort:
Listen More Than You Speak: Center trans people's own words and experiences rather than talking over them or interpreting their experiences for others.
Use Your Privilege: If you have social, economic, or political privilege, use it to amplify trans voices and support trans rights.
Do Your Own Work: Don't expect trans people to educate you or manage your feelings about trans issues. Take responsibility for your own learning and growth.
Show Up Consistently: Allyship isn't a one-time declaration but an ongoing practice of support and solidarity.
Support Without Expectation: Offer support without expecting gratitude, recognition, or anything in return. Do it because it's right, not because it makes you feel good.
The Connection to Sexual Liberation
Throughout my career, I've seen how all forms of sexual and gender oppression reinforce each other. The same forces that want to control transgender people's bodies also want to control women's reproductive choices, criminalize sex work, restrict access to comprehensive sex education, and police consensual adult sexuality.
This is why transgender liberation is inseparable from sexual liberation—we're fighting the same systems of control and shame that want to dictate how all of us express our authentic selves.
Legal and Political Advocacy
Supporting trans rights requires political engagement at every level:
Vote: Support candidates who will protect trans rights and oppose those who promote discrimination.
Contact Representatives: Make your voice heard on trans-related legislation at local, state, and federal levels.
Support Legal Challenges: Donate to organizations fighting discriminatory laws in court.
Attend Public Meetings: Show up to school board meetings, city council sessions, and other forums where trans rights are discussed.
Counter Misinformation: Challenge false narratives about transgender people with factual information and personal stories.
Building Bridges, Not Walls
Some people worry that supporting trans rights somehow threatens other groups or movements. This is a false choice designed to divide us. In reality:
Supporting trans women doesn't threaten cisgender women any more than supporting gay rights threatens straight people
Trans inclusion strengthens feminist movements by challenging rigid gender roles that harm everyone
Protecting trans youth doesn't endanger other children but creates safer, more inclusive environments for all kids
Trans visibility doesn't erase other identities but expands our understanding of human diversity
The Future We're Building
When we support transgender rights, we're building a world where:
Everyone has the right to define their own identity
Bodies are respected and protected from unwanted interference
Healthcare decisions are made by patients and doctors, not politicians
Children are supported in discovering and expressing their authentic selves
Diversity is celebrated as a source of strength rather than feared as a threat
This vision benefits everyone, not just transgender people.
Moving Forward with Love and Action
Supporting our transgender family requires both love and action. Love means seeing trans people as full human beings deserving of dignity, respect, and equal rights. Action means using whatever privilege and platform you have to make that equality a reality.
This Pride Month and beyond, let's commit to:
Learning about trans experiences from trans people themselves
Challenging transphobia wherever we encounter it
Supporting trans-led organizations with our time and resources
Advocating for inclusive policies in our communities and institutions
Creating safer spaces for transgender people to exist and thrive
Remember: when we fight for the most marginalized members of our community, we create more freedom for everyone. When we protect transgender people's right to exist authentically, we strengthen everyone's right to self-determination.
Trans rights are human rights because transgender people are human beings. Full stop. Their liberation is bound up with all of our liberation, and none of us are free until all of us are free.
How can you better support the transgender people in your life and community? What role will you play in advancing trans rights and challenging transphobia? Let's commit to concrete actions that create real change.
With Love,
Nina