How To Respond To The Insurrection

Because it is one – so let's treat it like one

Today the urgency of the orcian invasion threatening transgender people in particular (and empathetic humanity in general) has to take precedence over athletic science. Each “executive action” brings us closer, not to a slippery slope, but an abyss that might swallow even Gandalf without a trace.

We knew long before the election that Project 2025 promised an all-out virtual assault (which often encourages physical ones) on the rights of transgender people, and we knew that some elements of the Republican party had voiced even more extreme positions (“eradicate them”). But the polls said the price of eggs and immigration were far more important to Trump's fanatical followers, and we couldn't know ahead of time how much attention he would give us early on.

The executive orders now convey a clear answer: a lot. A scientifically meaningless definition of sex may not by itself cause fatal harm, but it is a huge if not necessary step toward that “eradication” goal. The logical category is the same as the Nazi declarations that Jews were genetically inferior. Certainly that caused far more horrific harm (eventually), but in both cases personally destructive discrimination is justified on false “scientific” grounds. Seen in the context of Trump's assertion that trans people are neither honorable nor truthful, how far are we from being categorized as a danger to society?

Similarly, it is telling that the order forbidding gender-affirming healthcare is for under 19, not 18. The difference cannot be accidental; transmisics have gone on for many years with the “wait till you're an adult” mantra. Improved “science?” Of course not. Choosing 19 crosses that barrier, making it easier to keep going up – indefinitely.

The orcs have a majority in Congress as well, and there is precious little indication that we can expect help from Democratic politicians, even as a few resolute spirits such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fight bravely on our side. There was a time when it seemed as if internecine conflict might come to our rescue, but this is a faint succor to rely heavily on. And “guardrails” (not to mention “adults in the room”) are a distant joke at best.

The most powerful defensive weapon right now is of course the lawsuit, and several have already been filed with immediate effect. In the best of all possible worlds (yes, a touch of sarcasm there), these might delay some of the worst effects until the next election. The problem with that is a) there may not be a next election in the “politics as usual” scenario, and b) Republicans have shown themselves quite willing to ignore the law. It helps that they control the national enforcement arm.

So: is there any hope? There is always hope (thank you, Prince Aragorn). No authoritarian rule can exist without acquiescence from the populace. Dictators are able to thrive because people are afraid of being removed, one by one, from their homes or even off the street, with no defense. When they are able to communicate with each other, they can organize; the revolt against Ferdinand Marcos (in the early days of cell phones) was a telling example.

We are one (hopefully important) part of that larger movement in the U.S. today. But its success is not likely to come fast enough to avoid devastating harm to the transgender community, ranging from denial of life-preserving healthcare to freedom to travel (and escape if conditions become deadly). Is there anything we can do, apart from those lawsuits?

I believe the secret was revealed about 7300 miles from here in the rice paddies a little ways south of Hanoi, where Monique and Jerry Sternin put the concept of “encouraging positive deviance” to a famous and very successful test. Major change takes place at the boundaries, not all at once. We don't have to concern ourselves about the Nancy Maces of the world. Add that inscrutable twenty percent in the middle to the entrenched progressive element, and we'll be in a far different position.

Every one of us has some sphere of influence. Again, I'm not talking about converting MAGATs. Just those poorly-informed people who simply don't know much (if anything) about what gender identity is, and why it's at the heart of life for so many. I think little of traditional social media as a change agent, but if you know how to make Tiktok videos, or have a professional network on LinkedIn, or can use Substack for more than a personal soapbox: do it – it will make a difference. Connect with your friends whose friends are journalists. Submit compelling titles to your bookclubs. (A fine exemplar would be Hanna's Ascent;⁸ but there's one to cover all tastes!) Get on podcasts, even if they don't have millions of subscribers.

I believe these are steps that can move that proverbial needle meaningfully even within months, and they could make the difference between life and death (physical or spiritual) for a lot of people

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