As the dust settles on the election, we now move towards the practical reality. One of my biggest questions: What will the new Trump administration do to transgender people like me?Its easy to say he will round us up and put us in camps. But it probably wont look like that. They probably wont be called camps. It probably wont be called rounding up. It will be more subtle than that. That subtlety makes it even more dangerous because it will be easier for cisgender people to miss it. Theyll be affected too, though, so their awareness is critical for both us and themselves. Related The spirits of Black trans women are unbreakable & no hateful rhetoric can strip us of our worth It has become increasingly clear that true solutions for our community come from within. And so we must save ourselves. Lets look at whats already happened. Over the last several years, Republicans have pursued anti-trans legislation with a zeal that would make you think we are a plague on society. Over 1,000 anti-trans laws have been proposed over the last two years, covering everything from medical care to IDs to bathroom usage to sports to the way we dress. Trump has promised to enact similar laws at the federal level, and Project 2025 calls for even more. Dive deeper every day Join our newsletter for thought-provoking commentary that goes beyond the surface of LGBTQ+ issues Subscribe to our Newsletter today To understand what the oppression of trans people will look like, note what it looks like for other groups. Mass incarceration of Black men has been accomplished, not by some blunt edict like round them up, but by a combination of draconian laws with disproportionate punishments, over-policing, and economic oppression that denies access to basic human needs. For trans people, laws around cross-dressing have been used to accomplish similar oppression.Under Trump, trans oppression may look like banning hormone replacement theory, followed by arresting those of us who try to obtain hormones anyway. It might look like requiring gender markers on IDs to match our sex assigned at birth, and then charging those who continue to use the ID that matches our gender with fraud or perjury. It could also look like involuntary commitment to mental institutions. All of these, even if rarely enforced, create an environment of fear, where we always wonder when the next law or crackdown will come. It will lead to high (but not total) incarceration rates of trans people, just like we have today for black men due to the "war on drugs", and increasingly also have for unhoused people.It will, as always, affect the more marginalized first.5/7 Celeste Irwin (@CelesteFinally) November 10, 2024Of course, all of these actions will continue to affect the most marginalized among us. Trans women of color or those with disabilities will find it harder to gain employment, leading to more precarious lives.Thats all to say, dont wait for some blunt, lock up all the trans people message. While we cant rule anything out completely, its hard for me to imagine it will start that way. But the effect of those other laws will be similar. And even if trans people choose to comply, we will experience a prison of another kind.If you are cisgender, we need you to ally with us to push back on whats to come because we simply have very little political power. But I also want you to consider how the erosion of our rights will lay the groundwork for the erosion of yours. We have common cause, and each step they take to strip my rights also fashions a weapon to use against you.Lets take abortion access. For decades, conservatives, particularly religious conservatives, have said that they are not trying to control womens bodies but rather protect the life of the unborn. They use such arguments to avoid having to take on bodily autonomy itself. But for trans health care, if lawmakers override the endorsements of gender-affirming care given by every major medical organization in this country it creates a precedent to directly attack other forms of bodily autonomy. As many on the far right have recently declared in the wake of Trumps win, Your body; my choice. This is not a case of outlawing medications or procedures that are now proven to be bad medicine (e.g., conversion therapy); its just banning things they dont like because they dont like them.In short, if my healthcare decisions are no longer between me and my doctor, yours wont be either. Lets consider employment and education discrimination as well. I am strongly considering going into teaching. But the new administration may create a national Dont Say Gay/Trans policy in our schools. This could result in my inability to even be a teacher, as I am pretty obviously transgender.Trans teachers already experience harassment, but soon it could go even further. Not only that but teachers would be required to deadname and misgender trans youth. They may also stop trans girls from wearing feminine clothing. From there, its easy to get to strict gendered dress codes for all. Once again, the targeting of trans kids creates precedent that removes freedom of expression for all. Fundamentally, our rights are your rights.As we move towards January 20th, its time to get connected to your local LGBTQ+ center and see how you can help. Stay informed by following trans journalists. Write your representatives (either party) to tell them you stand with trans people. Talk to cisgender friends and help them see the threats. Wear shirts or put stickers on your door or car that show that you support trans people, including trans kids. Get loud.Finally, check in on your trans friends. The GOP spent over $200 million demonizing trans people during the election, and theres a good chance theyre having a rough time right now. Spend time with them and let them know youre there for them. We need that now more than ever.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.