It seems that trans people get blamed for just about everything.
Right-wingers have pointed the finger at us for plane crashes, floods and even being the cause of turning fish trans.
Even the most recent shooting on presidential candidate Donald Trump was blamed on trans people, with some right-wing commentators claiming the gunman was trans, without any evidence. Ironically, he was a registered Republican and described as ‘conservative’ by former classmates.
The latest in this bizarrely worrying trend is Elon Musk, who has essentially blamed trans people for his plans to move SpaceX and X out of the state of California.
This is because the state recently enacted a policy that prevents teachers and staff at school from forcibly outing young LGBTQ+ students to their parents, which Musk had a tantrum over.
As a trans person, it has become quite exhausting to see people try to blame us for literally everything. How obsessed can they be?
If we look closer at the new Californian policy, it’s pretty common sense to me. It bans school districts from enforcing policies requiring staff to disclose a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation to anyone else without the child’s permission – with some exceptions.
It’s clearly meant to protect students, as not all parents would react positively to their child coming out as LGBTQ+. Outing them before they are ready – particularly to parents that might react negatively or even subject them to conversion therapy – is clearly unsafe.
Sadly, the previous government in the UK didn’t consider how harmful this could be, so last year released a controversial guidance ensuring that ‘parents are fully consulted before any decision is taken’ on things like social transitioning – i.e. changing names or pronouns – when it comes to their own children.
People who are against policies that protect students in this way are often those who think young people are being ‘influenced’ to become LGBTQ+ and that it’s possible to somehow force them not to be. This type of rhetoric has existed for decades, and has never been true.
People are simply who they are.
If we could really influence people’s sexual orientation or gender identity, I believe that everyone in society would simply be heterosexual and cisgender because no one would want to put up with the discrimination and stigma we face.
Ironically, Musk is a perfect example of a parent that wouldn’t react positively – as his views on transgender people seemed to change before one of his daughters, who is trans, cut ties with him completely.
Musk’s latest outburst is clear to me to be an extreme reaction to move two huge businesses because of a simple school policy. I think the real reason is more likely related to higher taxes and minimum wage laws being stronger there than in other states – which has caused other large corporations to move out of the state recently.
For me, this billionaire’s overreaction is a perfect example of how trans people are used as scapegoats constantly.
Diversity and inclusion is not the cause of your problems. Likewise, ‘woke’ culture isn’t the reason you can’t put food on the table or you miss your bus.
It’s getting increasingly tiring to be a punching bag for people who seem so completely consumed by transphobia that they can’t see any sense. At this point it’s hard not to laugh at it, despite how serious it also is.
With rising hostility both in the UK and the US against trans people, it’s hard to imagine where this will end. It seems certain people won’t rest until we are completely legislated out of existence.
But despite decades of abuse, discrimination and prejudice, our community still stands strong. Even if the political situation will get worse and our rights continue to get restricted, we will continue existing.
We always have, and we always will.
I believe that one day we will rise above this, and those leading the charge against our community will be remembered as heralds of hatred, and their legacy forever tainted.
But in the meantime, I can’t wait to see what they’ll bizarrely blame us for next. The possibilities truly are endless.
I think we really need to stop blaming trans people for all your woes, and start taking some responsibility for yourself. Focus on changing government policies or the minds of MPs, instead of attacking us.
It’s incredibly pathetic to use trans people as a punching bag for all your frustrations and try to paint us as the issue – when it’s clearly trans people who are suffering because of negative views like the ones Elon Musk holds.
It may sound a bit facetious for me to give advice to the world’s richest man, but honestly: get a real hobby.
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