As of summer 2025, it appears that there are few things that the American political system cares about more than "gender ideology."Just 9 months into the year, state legislatures have considered more than 953 anti-trans bills, 116 of which are now law. In one of his very first actions following his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order titled "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government." He has since issued six more executive orders that target, dehumanize, and deny the existence of queer and trans people.In June, the US Supreme Court decided Skrmetti v. the United States and Mahmoud v. Taylor, two cases that systematically undermine youth access to gender affirming care and exposure to LGBTQ+ content in schools, respectively.From local politicians to Supreme Court justices, there's an obsession with eradicating "gender ideology" from this country. As a trans, non-binary person myself, I frequently find myself asking, 'How did we get here?' This summer, I've worked to investigate why.As an intern with the Southern Equality Research & Policy Center, I've researched the anti-trans movement: where it originated, how it operates, and what anti-trans advocates care most about. Perhaps even more importantly, I've sought to understand where the general public stands: what hesitation do everyday people have when it comes to trans people, and why?The answer is alarmingly simple: increasingly over the last several years, anti-trans advocates have worked incessantly to create confusion and promote panic. In fact, most of the rhetoric used to undermine trans existence, from child exposure to women's restrooms, is based on an exaggerated reality if not pure fiction.Indeed, as children are the most vulnerable members of our society, moral panics often center on what may or may not harm our youth. This is undoubtedly the case here, as many are concerned that trans acceptance will confuse the children. Consequently, youth access to gender affirming care and LGBTQ+ inclusive content in schools has been made into the front lines of this anti-trans culture war.However, though far-right pundits and politicians may equate the two, understanding is not indoctrination. Rather, introducing children to media with transgender characters does the bare minimum to challenge hate and promote acceptance. Children are not transitioning for the sake of it; learning new concepts and terms simply gives more people the vocabulary to describe their experiences.Why would they when being trans especially being a young trans person is one of the most dangerous things to be right now?Among other measures, most trans kids 61%, as of a 2021 study face relentless bullying, notably more so than both their LGB and straight cisgender peers. Increasingly, some trans kids and teens even face the vitriol of far-right influencers and their followers, exposing them to a whole new level of bullying.No parent, teacher, doctor, or drag queen is trying to convince children to transition. We are merely hoping to show kids and teens that they are loved for exactly who they are. This includes tomboys, gay kids, boyish boys, and girly girls, all alongside trans kids.There is also a widespread impression that trans rights fundamentally conflict with or even supersede the rights of others. This argument is most commonly used in defense of women's rights and single-sex spaces, and some members of the LGB community believe that the trans rights movement has threatened gay rights. However, if you look at the facts, it's clear that trans rights pose no threat to women's rights or safety. There is no evidence that cisgender women experience heightened safety risks when transgender people use public facilities that align with their gender identity. Instead, transgender people are the ones who face harassment and violence in bathrooms, particularly when forced to use facilities according to their sex assigned at birth.Similarly, trans women are not a danger to women's and girls' sports. Issues of fairness at the professional level can be mitigated by hormone requirements, and transgender girls have zero physical advantage over their cisgender counterparts before puberty. In a 2024 study, trans women athletes were even found to have notable disadvantages when compared to their cisgender female counterparts.Some also believe that the trans rights movement pushed the public too far, sparked far-right outrage, and endangered gay (LGB) rights.Fewer Americans indeed support gay rights now than a handful of years ago. However, this is not because the trans rights movement asked for too much. As reported on by scholars, journalists, and activists, the current backlash to LGB and transgender rights is the result of a highly coordinated and deliberate far-right movement that has worked since the 1990s to suppress pro- feminist, gay, and trans advocacy.Trans people did not suddenly ask for too much the Republicans just needed a new way to galvanize their base following the 2022 midterms, particularly after the controversy of Dobbs. We shouldn't tolerate this blatant attempt to tear the LGBTQ+ community apart. We should not sacrifice our transgender and gender non-conforming siblings for the sake of palatability and assimilation.Contrary to what conservatives would have us believe, we can expand the table we can even break down the walls instead of fighting over the seats.Lastly, many hesitate to fight alongside pro-trans advocates and politicians due to the widespread belief that we suppress dissenting voices and diversity of opinion. Indeed, our society has become more polarized at every level. As a result, it's easy to see those who disagree with us as inherently opposed to our existence and experiences. It's easy to demand unity of viewpoints, to demonize anyone who disagrees with the movement. It's even easier to believe that you'll be the one cast out.Cancel culture eats at a functioning society. It constructs costly barriers to human connection and divides us into irreconcilable camps. It's actively harmful to the progressive movement to demand political perfection from anyone. However, it is deadly for critics to paint the pro-trans movement as dominant or oppressive.The pro-trans movement is losing in many ways. In just nine months, legislators have authored almost 1,000 pieces of legislation, all to target less than 2% of the population. How can you consider that and emerge thinking that transgender people have any significant political power?People do not gain political capital through transitioning. Instead, they lose it. Trans people do not have better job prospects or a higher income than you. Study after study has shown that transgender people are disproportionately likely to be impoverished and unemployed. Transgender people certainly do not have any power over the media, as both mainstream and social media sites have spent years platforming those who argue that we are confused, malicious, and undeserving of respect.So what do trans people really want? The answer is simple: to have the ability to define our individual experience of gender for ourselves. To eliminate societal restrictions on what a person can or cannot do because of their gender.As a society, we have let our fear of change drive us towards hate. Instead, let your confusion drive you towards curiosity. I hope you seek out your trans neighbors and have them over for a cup of coffee. Please bring your earnest questions to them and ask them to help you understand. To my trans and gender non-conforming readers, I hope you approach questions with grace.We cannot afford division any longer. Let's seek community instead.Perspectives is dedicated to featuring a wide range of inspiring personal stories and impactful opinions from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Visit Pride.com/submit to learn more about submission guidelines. Views expressed in Perspectives stories are those of the guest writers, columnists, and editors, and do not directly represent the views of PRIDE or our parent company, equalpride.