The transgender community is more actively engaged politically during presidential elections than any other segment of society. This is according to the largest survey of trans people ever conducted over the last decade.
The results of the study shed new light on why the GOP known for voter suppression, have prioritized their attacks on trans and non-binary people. It's actually empowering to know that MAGA is so scared of trans trans people, a tiny minority of the US population that they would devout that much energy to disenfranchise us. But why target us and what can we do about it? That will become clear after we read the boring details which I have surmised.
The United States Transgender Survey (USTS) was conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality (now Advocates for Trans Equality Education Fund, “A4TE”) in partnership with the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, and TransLatin@ Coalition.
Eighty-two percent (82%) of U.S. citizens of voting age in the sample (“voting eligible respondents”) reported that they were registered to vote in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 73% in the U.S. population. The percentage of registered voters has been trending upwards since the first survey was conducted in 2015 USTS in which 76% of voting eligible respondents reported that they were registered to vote in the November 2014 midterm election, compared to 65% in the U.S. population.
Three-quarters (75%) of voting eligible respondents reported that they had voted in the 2020 presidential election, compared to 67% in the U.S. population.10 USTS respondents also appear more likely to have voted compared to the U.S. population when looking across age groups.
The trend of higher voter engagement among 2022 USTS respondents is consistent with the trend observed in the 2015 USTS in which 54% of voting eligible respondents reported that they had voted in the midterm election, compared to 42% in the U.S. population.
Here's where we can do better!
During the 2020 presidential election cycle, respondents reported donating money to a presidential campaign (13%) or another political candidate, issue, or cause (19%). They also volunteered or worked for a presidential campaign (3%) or another political candidate, issue, or cause (9%).
Only 3% of us volunteered during the last presidential election! I get why and I'm not putting anyone down for it. I voted for Biden but I didn't participate in getting the vote out!
We're politically and morally opposite but why eradicate us?
MAGA saw how just a few dozen of us with signs and boom boxes educated and persuaded HRC members to question Joe Solomnese about trans exclusion from their advocacy. They saw how in Texas when Abbott proposed a bathroom bill, ALL of Texas went to Austin to defend us!
They view us as the most vulnerable of Democrats and said clearly in PROJECT 2025 that the next far-right federal government was going to "eradicate transgenderism."
They are wrong. But we must roll up our sleeves once again and participate.
If you are like me, living on a shoestring, skip past the opening page of Kamala Harris' web page where it asks for donations, and click the "Participate" link at the top and learn how you can help at kamalaharris.com
We're not going back! Let's send these fascists packing!
