Subscribe nowEditors note: Spencer is off this week so he gave me his keyboard.For those of us in the LGBTQ community, 2025 is a time full of fear as LGBTQ rightsand particularly trans rightshave taken staggering hits.In the face of the Trump administrations attacks, many liberals have responded with appeasement, conceding some issues in the hopes of taking back ground on others.Many Democrats have been turning away from trans rights in particular: 2028 presidential hopeful Rahm Emanuel outwardly denied the reality of transition, and top Democrats have been eerily silent on the Supreme Courts United States v. Skrmetti ruling, which will threaten access to health care for thousands of trans kids. In the meantime, high-profile Democrats continue to cede argumentative ground to the far right, with California governor Gavin Newsom agreeing with Turning Point USA leader Charlie Kirk that trans athletes are deeply unfair while others like Pete Buttigieg engage in hand-wringing on the issue, opening the door to right-wing talking points.Pundits and centrist think tanks continue to egg the party on, painting trans people and advocates as extremists who are out of touch with the American public and assuring Dems that shifting further right will solve their woes.For all of the many reasons that Democrats have been underperforming, its all too convenient that legacy media seems to have quickly and confidently decided that their support of trans rights should be front and center. Exit polls suggest that Kamala Harris, and the party as a whole, lost a ton of voters over the economy, yet theres been no media reckoning on liberals economic policies or calls to challenge past orthodoxies on the partys long-stagnant economic platform. It seems that its simply been decided that trans people are expendable, that we are the ones who should have to sacrifice our interests for the greater gooda sentiment no doubt fueled by the sharp rise in transphobia.This strategy doesnt seem to be working. As liberals have conceded ground on trans rights, the Supreme Court now turns its eyes on gay marriage, something that would have been unthinkable five years ago. The more I report on the far right, the clearer the pattern becomes: If you give them an inch, theyll take a mile. And while the Democratic partys approval rating is the lowest its been in decades, the most steadfast supporters of trans people, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, have been soaring in popularity, with Beshear having the second-highest approval of any governor in the country.Calls to abandon the trans community are misguided and distract from real issues. Most importantly, they cause real harmnot a day goes by that I dont fear losing my own health care as the far right gets further emboldened and I watch the few allies I thought I had drop like flies.And thats a nightmare that countless of my fellow trans people are already living. Trumps election should be a wake-up call, but the lesson to be learned is not to simply give in to the wave of anti-trans hate he rode into office, but rather to fight back against it.Earlier this week, Spencer spoke about why, and how, he started Uncloseted on Simon Owens Substack. Check it out here: Simon Owens's Media NewsletterHow a former 60 Minutes producer raised six figures in donations to launch an LGBTQ-focused media outletSpencer Macnaughton doesnt believe theres a lack of LGBTQ-focused journalism in the mainstream media; as a former producer for both 60 Minutes and the Wall Street Journal, he saw a willingness from these outlets to cover anti-gay and trans hate movements. He launchedRead more3 days ago 11 likes Simon OwensPark Ranger Fired After Helping Drape a Transgender Pride Flag on Yosemite's El Capitan (NBC News)The ex-ranger said they plan to fight the decision, citing an executive order issued by President Trump that protects Americans free speech rights.Florida Judge Strikes Down State Law Used to Ban Books: 'None of These books Are Obscene' (The Advocate)Judge Carlos Mendoza ruled that Florida's ban on books that "describe sexual conduct" is too broad.UKs First Transgender Judge Seeks Rehearing of Supreme Court Case on Biological Sex (The Guardian)Victoria McCloud says court undermined her rights to a fair trial when it refused to hear her evidence.Were taking a break this week while Spencer is away, but check back next Tuesday for new reporting.Thanks for reading! Feel free to email us with questions, complaints and story ideas! Hope PisoniIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media