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Facing Transphobia on the Trans Day of Remembrance
Content notes: Transmisogyny, suicidal ideation
Today, November 20, is the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual event to memorialize trans victims — predominantly women of color — of deadly, transphobic violence. Founded in 1999, the event has been recognized with statements by the Biden administration since 2021.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, chose to make a different statement on this solemn occasion. Following a resolution made earlier this week by Representative Nancy Mace that would exclude trans women from women’s restrooms in the Capitol, Johnson supported this measure, and issued a statement that “All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.”
While transphobic resolutions and bills targeting trans women are, sadly, nothing new, this week’s statements were squarely aimed at incoming Delaware representative Sarah McBride, the first openly trans person elected to Congress. She opted to respond to Johnson’s dehumanizing statement with poise and grace, stating that “I’m not here to fight about bathrooms” and that she would “follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them”.
McBride might be tough enough to weather these attacks without visibly cracking, as all trans public figures must do to some extent. But not all trans and non-binary people can cope with this cruelty. Some say that “the cruelty is the point”, as there isn’t a shred of evidence that barring trans women from women’s facilities does anything to protect cisgender women.
But whether or not Mike Johnson, Nancy Mace, or any other legislator actually believes that they are…
