Genocide experts are sounding the alarm to warn that the U.S. is in the early stages of a larger campaign to literally, physically destroy transgender people as a specific gender group, according to the Lemkin Institute, a U.S.-based multinational non-governmental organization dedicated to ending genocide.Lemkin Institute President Dr. Elisa von Joeden-Forgey said the U.S. is now in the early-to-mid stages of a genocidal process against trans and nonbinary and intersex people. She added that Republicans are using trans people to generate fear particularly surrounding children, family, and their ideal concept of masculinity to prime their base for genocide, the institute reported in a recent article. Related Trans sports ban that could require genital exams will appear on the ballot in Washington Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of the group Genocide Watch, agreed, saying that Donald Trumps executive order denying any recognition of any gender outside of the male-female binary is a totalitarian idea that is driven by Nazi ideology. Dr. Stanton also noted that such strict male-female binaries neither exist in nature nor in many other cultures.The Trump administration and its bases have identified a set of enemies or objectionable people and have stirred up public prejudice against them in a way that is escalating toward violence, said Dr. Henry Theriault, who served as the International Association of Genocide Scholars from 2017 to 2021. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Former genocide researcher Haley Brown said that the 20 U.S. states with anti-trans bathroom bills effectively give non-state actors tacit approval to commit violence against trans people by essentially deputizing people to police gender expression down to the very physiological characteristics of every person.Brown also noted that Trump and his cronies anti-trans rhetoric has often invoked the conspiracy theory of so-called cultural Marxism (which is the modern incarnation of the Nazi antisemitic conspiracy theory of Cultural Bolshevism, or the idea that there is a concerted international campaign led by Jewish people to undermine traditional Western culture). The rhetoric includes the ideas that leftists, feminists, Marxists, and LGBTQIA+ people are trying to destroy Western civilization and that these immoral, inferior groups should be destroyed. Dr. Theriault said that trans Americans may be more vulnerable due to their small population. They make up only about 1% of the adult population a size equivalent to Jews in 1933 Germany and violence against trans people has been rising. Dr. von Joegen-Forgey called the situation terrifying, adding, No one goes to war on behalf of the victims of genocide.Theriault said the U.S. would increase policies to make life intolerable for trans Americans, something that will cause the trans suicide rate to rise dramatically. Indeed, Republicans have already instated policies nationwide to defund any trans-inclusive research or policies, force trans kids and adults to medically detransition, and force trans people into sex-segregated spaces where theyre likely to face more discrimination and violence. Were already at the point for trans folks, for immigrants, where the damage is being done, Dr. Theriault said. So its not so much will genocide happen? as we got to stop it from happening. Dr. von Joegen-Forgey warned, You dont have a democracy thats committing genocide against one group. That is not a democracy anymore, once genocide is in the mix. The state in question will commit other mass atrocities.If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at988lifeline.org. TheTrans Lifeline(1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth viachat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.