The foundation of LGBTQ+ advocacy in the U.S. was one of advancements, frequently sluggish and hard-fought but unavoidably moving ahead. Transgender rights activists now admit they are playing defense in the face of extraordinary problems in state legislatures, 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 powerful, well-organized, and heavily resourced effort to undo the decades of advancement that our movement has made.”
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. Some laws forbid trans minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care or prohibit trans athletes from competing on female and women’s interscholastic sports teams.
The National Center for Transgender Equality and the TLDEF announced in January that they would combine this summer in response to a fresh wave of anti-trans procedures that were already implemented this year. Activists for Trans Equality may be the name of the new organization; Its CEO will be Marra, and Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, who currently holds that position with the NCTE, may serve as its executive director.
According to Marra, 2022 was a crucial year for deciding whether or not to acquire the merger. Ken Paxton, the solicitor general of Texas, and Gov. Republican Greg Abbott ordered state child protection workers to look into transgender children’s communities for what he called “abusive gender-transitioning services.”
In response to the extraordinary negativity and parliamentary assaults on trans people across the country, Marra said, “I knew we needed a stronger, bolder answer.”
Heng-Lehtinen claims that unlike some mergers, this one is not intended to reduce costs or consolidate. He stated that each organization’s current workers will be kept, and the new one, after adding a few new workers, will probably employ about 50 people by the end of the year, working remotely from offices in New York and Washington.
“You assume there is some sort of problem or repetition when you hear ‘merger,'” he said. “Not in this instance; we merely believe that we will be more powerful.”
It is essential for Marra and Heng-Lehtinen, as well as their friends in different LGBTQ+ rights organizations, to continue suing against anti-trans laws state by state. Federal courts, including some chosen by Republican presidents, have blocked some of the procedures while others have gone into effect.
In this vote season, another top goal is to participate in political campaigns.
According to Heng-Lehtinen, “we need pro-trans elected representatives winning their races and defeating candidates who are attacking trans people just to score political points.” He portrayed the anti-trans negativity as a reaction to the larger advancements made in recent decades by the LGBTQ+ rights movements.
He claimed that anti-LGBT organizations are trembling in their boots. “We’ve come a long way, which is why they’re fighting therefore valiantly.”
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, becoming the first GOP House representative to advocate for the legalization of same-sex unions. She vociferously endorsed Rodrigo’s choice to identify as trans.
In a 2016 video pleading with parents to accept their transgender children, Ros-Lehtinen said, “What makes our home but very proud of Rodrigo is that he’s so joyful living an authentic life, being truthful about himself, and bringing much joy in our existence.”
Since then, the national political climate in regards to LGBTQ+ freedom has drastically changed.
Following the passage of a “bathroom bill” in North Carolina in 2016 that restricted trans people’s use of public restrooms, there was significant backlash, including the withdrawal of potentially profitable business ventures and sporting events.
As fresh anti-trans measures went into effect in North Carolina and abroad over the past couple of years, the business world has frequently avoided similar challenges. Profits of Bud Light decreased as a result of liberal opposition to an advertisement starring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
At a time when special interest groups are examining how they handle issues like affirmative action and workforce diversity, Marra claimed that some corporations had grown more hesitant to engage in potentially contentious social issues.
Marra remarked, “We would like them to be true to their principles.”
According to research, some trans people have thought about moving to another city or state that would be more accepting, demonstrating the cumulative effect 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 policy so they can travel or get health treatment or services outside of their home state.
Despite the current losses, Marra, who has been involved in the LGBTQ+ rights movements 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 advance the cause of justice in this nation by involving the next generation of citizens.” “We need to share our stories with common people all over the country.”
