Trans people aren’t terrorists – we must resist the state’s dangerous lies
As the government escalates attacks on trans lives, our response must be bold: prepare, organize, disrupt.
The government continues to escalate its war on trans lives. Since the start of this administration, we’ve seen attacks on healthcare, legal recognition and basic freedoms — and now, a chilling report that the FBI may classify trans people as terrorists. This isn’t just policy. It’s a strategy to villainize trans people.
Even before this administration took office, trans people were in their crosshairs. Millions were spent on anti-trans ads exaggerating Democrats’ support, anti-trans messaging became a fixture at Trump rallies and, in their first week, they unleashed executive orders targeting our healthcare, IDs and very right to exist. In Trump’s first week in office, he unleashed a series of executive orders aimed at stripping trans people of healthcare, accurate IDs and pushed a binary definition of sex and gender. These federal assaults have been backed by state-level bathroom bans, sports exclusions and, recently, a Supreme Court ruling upholding a ban on gender-affirming care for youth, greenlighting full and partial bans in up to twenty-seven states.
Now, this most recent report states that the FBI may label trans people “Nihilistic Violent Extremists.” The mere possibility of being classified as terrorists has ignited fear and uncertainty in trans people and those who love them. While it remains unclear if this designation will be implemented, the threat alone is enough to create a crisis. But, as a community, we must remain grounded. We must prepare, not panic.