Hate doesn’t start with physical violence. It begins with words, messages and beliefs targeting a group or individual. There may not be punches thrown, but rhetoric slowly seeps into society, eventually bleeding its way into legislation — severely impacting all communities. At first glance, anti-trans rhetoric may seem like a faraway issue. People know it’s hurting the trans community, but if it’s not targeting them in particular, they don’t really care. However, the hate directed towards the trans community is not only hurting an already marginalized community but will eventually hurt everyone.
In West Virginia, Senate Bill 456 passed in Congress, which states men and women are legally equal but not biologically the same, therefore not “similarly situated in all circumstances.” The bill said that “males alone have the biological capability to impregnate women [and] males are, on average, physically larger and stronger than women.” The bill’s overall goal was to mandate single-sex spaces for women, such as restrooms and changing areas in domestic violence shelters and schools.
A little after the bill was first introduced, an amendment proposed a health care provider could physically examine a minor without the consent of a guardian to determine the children’s biological sex. The bill then changed to say that a child’s birth certificate determined their biological sex, but the fact the amendment was introduced in the first place speaks to how dangerous this type of thinking towards transgender people has the potential to severely harm everyone.
The bill is nothing short of dystopian and reveals that this country is already going in a direction where we consider these invasive policies. The idea that doctors could inspect children’s genitals, without parental consent, to determine a “biological sex” reflects an absolutely horrifying level of state control over our own bodies. While the bill was modified, it’s a prime example of how our nation’s excessive concern with gender could have endangered minors’ safety.
Senate Bill 456 shows how hate that may seem to only affect the trans community can affect everyone at all levels. As the bill seeks to definitively determine what makes a man and woman, it reduces people to nothing but physical bodies and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. It suggests that because men are generally “stronger,” women are in need of protection.
As someone who identifies as a woman, let me make it clear — I have never once felt in danger by a transgender person in the bathroom. Research shows there is no evidence of safety risks for cisgender people when transgender people are allowed to use the restroom that aligns with their identity. In fact, the transgender people are most in danger of violence, with 36% of transgender or non-binary students experiencing sexual assault in the bathroom when forced to use one that doesn’t align with their gender identity.
The very existence of trans people does not pose a threat to women, but there is a threat when we seek to define gender and sex as a binary topic. The fear stems from the fact that people who identify as something other than their biological sex pose a risk to the binary view of gender and the simplicity of roles for men and women.
When we limit gender to something that can be defined so simply, it erases the complexity of humans and creates further divides by saying biologically, we have irreconcilable differences. Gender is a spectrum, and there cannot be legislation that dictates men are innately stronger than women, as it naturally pushes gendered stereotypes that we’ve fought so hard against. This type of thinking erases all individual identity and limits everyone’s potential. The threat isn’t just to the trans community — it’s to everyone at large.
While words may just be words at first, they easily manifest themselves into action and legislation. These policies are erasing gender equality. The current bills being proposed are just the sad beginning, as it forces everyone to adapt and fulfill roles we worked to get past.
Humans cannot be put into boxes saying what we are. There cannot be a limited view of gender and our differences, as it just gives way to a future where the government can tell us who we are and what we can do with our bodies. Everyone should have the freedom to live as they are and who they want to be. Anti-trans rhetoric hurts everyone and strips us of all of our identities.
Emma Hannan is the Digital Editor for the Pitt News who likes to talk about politics and human rights. To reach out with comments or article ideas, you can reach her at emh249@pitt.edu.