The U.S. has long been the focus of LGBTQ+ advocacy. The U.S. was one of advancements, frequently slow and hard-fought but inevitably moving forward. Transgender rights activists now admit they are playing defense in the face of extraordinary challenges in state legislature, and two of the largest groups are banding together to fend off the assault.
According to Andy Marra, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, “this is going to be a safeguard game—a movement-strengthening game.” “We have seen a superior, well-organized, and heavily resourced effort to undo the years of advancement made by our movement.”
The attack’s main point is that trans people have been the target of numerous bills passed in Republican-controlled states over the past few years. Numerous laws forbid transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming health care or prohibit trans athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s scholastic sports teams.
The TLDEF and the National Center for Transgender Equality announced in January that they intend to merge this summer in response to a new influx of anti-trans procedures that were already implemented this year. Activists for Trans Equality may be the name of the new organization; Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, who currently holds that position with the NCTE, may serve as the organization’s executive director, with Marra serving as its CEO.
According to Marra, a crucial decision to consider the acquisition occurred in 2022. Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas and Gov. Both Republicans Greg Abbott ordered state child safety workers to investigate transgender children’s parents for what Abbott referred to as “abusive gender-transitioning procedures.”
According to Marra, “I knew we needed a stronger, bolder response to the extraordinary negativity and parliamentary strikes on trans people statewide.”
Heng-Lehtinen claims that unlike some mergers, this one is not intended to reduce costs or consolidate. He stated that each organization’s existing staff will be kept, and the new organization will probably have a team of about 50 people by the end of the year, working remotely as well as out of offices in New York and Washington.
“You assume there is a problem or repetition when you hear ‘merger,'” he said. “Not in this case; we just believe that we will be more powerful.”
It’s essential to continue suing, state by state, against the anti-trans rules for Marra and Heng-Lehtinen and their friends in other LGBTQ+ rights organizations. Federal courts, including some chosen by Republican presidents, have blocked some of the procedures while others have gone into effect.
In this election season, another top goal is to participate in political campaigns.
According to Heng-Lehtinen, “we need elected officials who support trans people to win their races and defeat opponents who merely criticize them for political reasons.” He portrayed the anti-trans negativity as a backlash for the larger advancements the LGBTQ+ rights movement had made in recent years.
He claimed that anti-LGBT organizations are trembling in their shoes. “They are fighting so fiercely because we have advanced so much.”
His family, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, served in Congress for 30 years beginning when he was 3 years old, demonstrating his early interest in politics.
Ros-Lehtinen, who disagreed with the majority of her Republican colleagues in Congress, grew to be a fervent supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. She was the first Republican to support same-sex marriage legalization in the GOP House. She spoke out in favor of Rodrigo’s choice to identify himself as a trans person.
In a 2016 video pleading with parents to accept their transgender children, Ros-Lehtinen said, “What makes our home very proud of Rodrigo is that he’s so happy living an authentic life, being truthful about himself, and bringing much joy in our existence.”
Since then, the national political climate regarding LGBTQ+ rights has drastically changed.
A “bathroom bill” restricting trans people’s use of public restrooms was passed by North Carolina in 2016, which sparked a significant backlash that included the cancellation of potentially profitable sporting events and business ventures.
As new anti-trans measures went into effect in North Carolina and abroad over the past few years, the business world has frequently steered clear of similar risks. Due to liberal opposition to an advertising campaign featuring trans celebrity Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light’s sales fell precipitously.
At a time when special interest groups are examining how they deal with issues like affirmative action and workforce diversity, Marra suggested that some corporations had grown more cautious of getting involved in potentially divisive political issues.
Marra remarked, “We want them to uphold their values.”
According to research, some trans people have thought about relocating to a more accepting city or state, demonstrating the combined effects of the anti-trans laws. In recent years, a number of new businesses have emerged that provide emergency cash to people and families affected by anti-trans legislation in order to travel or get health treatment or services outside of their home state.
Despite the current setbacks, Marra, who has been involved in the LGBTQ+ rights movement for 20 years, says she is still optimistic.
“We are currently engaged in a number of battles, but in the end, we are on the right side of history,” she said.
She continued, “This time, we have a chance to involve the next generation of voters in the next phase of the fight for equality in this nation.” “We need to be sharing our stories with common people all over the country.”
