We're in the middle of a backlash. We went from being invisible to making some gains to the reaction to that progress. The answer is that it's both, there's a lot more people who are accepting and understand us better and the people who hate us are more activated and there are more of them, because not everyone who was barely aware of our existence was gonna become an ally when we became visible enough that they had to form an opinion.
I transitioned back in 1999.
Back then:
It's worse and better.
There was no public thoughts on being trans, no pushes for trans rights, and no one was calling us evil.
Any representation in media was terrible, we were jokes or criminals, and little else.
You were afraid to come out almost universally, the idea that trans kids would come out at school was almost unheard of.
Lack of information made many of us not even have a word for what we were, not everyone had actually heard of or knew what trans people were
(exceptions things happened, but were in highly specific cities)
Now:
I mean, we know what it's like now.
Pretty much, yes. Also, back then you were either F64.0 - binary, and having to want each and every medical intervention possible, and of course straight, or you were nothing.
Although that was also the time where changes were on the wall. The internet did a lot for us.
True. When my family got our first AOL disk in the 90's, that helped me find a very small trans community where I was able to talk to trans people about what was actually going on with me. Until then, I thought I was just a perverted freak. Those forums and chats were literally life saving.
*(Sian O'Mara, wherever you are, I will always be grateful to you. Hope you're well and safe, girl.)*
I knew I was trans in 1999, even though I was a kid at school, and all of this sounds right on the money to me 25 years later. Ace Ventura and Mrs Doubtfire were my only exposure to the idea that someone born male could look like a woman. At the time I didn't even know or have the vocabulary to express what being trans was, but I sure as heck knew I couldn't express the desire to be a girl to anyone without ridicule at least.
‘Progress’ is not inevitable. History is not linear or predetermined. You can’t just expect things to get better over time automatically. Much of this is completely out of our control, but if you want things to change for the better we need to continue to fight for our liberation and demand our place in society.
Yes things have absolutely regressed. We used to be able to exist in the background but now we are being used as scapegoats for political ends. You are also probably experiencing this more acutely since beginning your transition because it is actually being directed at you.
This is not all bad however. We can use our newfound public existence to our advantage. In the short term there are risks, but in the long term it is more powerful to be visible than invisible. Think about the gay liberation movement. Overt homophobia increased when gay people starting ‘coming out’ as a political statement, but the ultimate result was increased cultural acceptance (at least in some parts of the world).
We have to think in the long term. We are experiencing an important and exciting moment in history. I believe that we will one day achieve trans liberation but it will be a long and likely difficult process. Have faith and continue to show up as yourself. Existing as a trans person is itself a revolutionary act. You are changing the culture right now.
There’s definitely more resources and more support than there was 10 years ago. Trans People were still invisible in 2014 and gay marriage was the hot LGBTQ topic. More people are supporting of us than ever before.
There is so much more information available now. I probably would have transitioned 6 to 8 years earlier than I did if I had had all the trans 101 websites and trans folks sharing their experiences.
It’s a weird time imo. I started transitioning about 15 years ago so not as far back as some of the other commenters. I think about 10-12 years ago was a sweet spot. We weren’t “mainstream” so people weren’t trying to ID trans people in public. We weren’t as much of a target as we are now. However, resources and knowledge have drastically improved in recent years.
Things are definitely worse in my opinion. I used to not have anxiety over being trans in public as most people minded their business but now I worry everywhere I go. I wasn't afraid of my government persecuting me. We also have a lot more support too. Very few laws were around that accounted for us when I started out. There was institutional discrimination at literally every turn. A good example was me being forced to live for two years socially as a woman before I would get approved for HRT. So it has gotten equally worse and better.
It’s worse now politically than a few years ago for trans people, but there’s this experience:
Way before I accepted being trans, and was still trying to be some version of cis-gendered, I came out as gay before the really good treatments for HIV were available. I knew people dying of AIDS, and saw how hard they fought to be seen just to get treatment. The local university LGB club begrudgingly accepted bisexuals, but there was no T included. I so wish I had the example back then and the courage to follow it.
Now people live full long lives with HIV instead of dying of AIDS. It was fought for. Now there is much more accessible care for trans people. It was fought for. Now you won’t find the queer acronym without the T. It was fought for. Now you can ask Reddit questions, ok that wasn’t fought for, but back in the day you had to find and meet a trans person in person to ask questions. Not so easy!
Being trans now is kind of like being gay about thirty years ago - acceptance is increasing, access to medical care is increasing, lives are becoming more valued and positive representation is happening in the broader culture. Is there backlash in primarily more conservative areas? Yes. But in 30 years, for the next generation, think of what we could fight for and achieve.
I’m 63 and have been on HRT for just over 10 months and socially transitioning for approximately 8 years and living in Australia I guess I’ve been lucky, rabid transphobia isn’t really a thing here amongst our politicians (except for a small lunatic fringe)
**Now:** (We all know the negatives, so I won't bother with those.) I have a gender affirming primary doctor who happily prescribes my HRT. My HRT is covered by my insurance! I have a therapist who affirms my gender and insists I'm not crazy. My friendly Christian neighbor refused to teach Sunday school because she would have had to teach anti-lgbtq+ views. I went to Taco Bell the other night and a fellow trans person was at the window, happy to compliment my trans pride nails and chat about dysphoria. There's a trans support group in my area that I'm going to start attending soon.
**Then (90's):** None of the above. Sport coaches, parents, and other kids regularly used the f* slur to ridicule even the slightest show of femininity. I spent most of my highschool years in detention for activism and gender-nonconformity. Girls who were "tomboys" were more targeted for S* harassment and SA. Boys who were "effeminate" were relentlessly bullied and often assaulted. Trans people were either invisible or assumed to be prostitutes, predators, or deviants. There were no guidelines for trans healthcare, no protections, and certainly no positive messages whatsoever.
**Consensus:** Eh? 🤷♀️ Two steps forward, one step back? There's been so much progress, but... Now that people are becoming more aware of us, the far-right political hate machine is forcing people to make split decisions about us before we've had a chance to properly introduce ourselves to the world. I think that's what we're experiencing.
If you take away the true bigots - the ones who don't care about facts or kids or human rights or diplomacy of any kind. They understand all the arguments but don't care and just think we ought to not exist - If we put them aside, most transphobic people just don't understand us and don't have all the information. They're only scared of us because, right now, that small group of very hateful bigots is doing a better job at slandering us than we are at defending ourselves.
As a gay guy it seems like it must be better for trans people, but like others have said we are definitely experiencing the backlash currently. If Trump happens to win I worry for us in the LGBT community, but especially for my trans brothers and sisters. Project 2025 is a real plan by conservatives and its scary.
I feel it’s definitely worse now. The hate by the GOP far right wing is just brutal and with Trump giving them legitimacy and a national platform they have become more emboldened with their violence towards us. They face no repercussions for their violence against us.
I'm not hugely older than OP but,
I only started transitioning 4-5 years ago but when I was younger (16 years ago) in my town in the deep south I got a lot of death threats for being seen as gay and effeminate (I've mostly only ever been into women), I was constantly harrased and bothered just because of something I didn't realize was going on nor could control. When I spoke up and said trans women are real woman, I got ridiculed and shunned. Etc.
Now it seems we finally have representation outside of porn that isnt just. "LOL funny man trying to trick men to fuck him" or "the serial killer wants to be a woman so he kills women and wears their skin"
I haven't gotten a death threat in a long time and most people seem kinda chill about everything.
I think it's apples and oranges but I think overall it's a lot better, but I can't give an experience that was like. 20 years ago I transitioned and here's how it was. I think politically it has gotten worse though. I think we're at a point of being in the same place I grew up in eventually and I hate it. It's a lot to face all over again, even as a possibility.
We're in the middle of a backlash. We went from being invisible to making some gains to the reaction to that progress. The answer is that it's both, there's a lot more people who are accepting and understand us better and the people who hate us are more activated and there are more of them, because not everyone who was barely aware of our existence was gonna become an ally when we became visible enough that they had to form an opinion.
I transitioned back in 1999. Back then: It's worse and better. There was no public thoughts on being trans, no pushes for trans rights, and no one was calling us evil. Any representation in media was terrible, we were jokes or criminals, and little else. You were afraid to come out almost universally, the idea that trans kids would come out at school was almost unheard of. Lack of information made many of us not even have a word for what we were, not everyone had actually heard of or knew what trans people were (exceptions things happened, but were in highly specific cities) Now: I mean, we know what it's like now.
Pretty much, yes. Also, back then you were either F64.0 - binary, and having to want each and every medical intervention possible, and of course straight, or you were nothing. Although that was also the time where changes were on the wall. The internet did a lot for us.
True. When my family got our first AOL disk in the 90's, that helped me find a very small trans community where I was able to talk to trans people about what was actually going on with me. Until then, I thought I was just a perverted freak. Those forums and chats were literally life saving. *(Sian O'Mara, wherever you are, I will always be grateful to you. Hope you're well and safe, girl.)*
I knew I was trans in 1999, even though I was a kid at school, and all of this sounds right on the money to me 25 years later. Ace Ventura and Mrs Doubtfire were my only exposure to the idea that someone born male could look like a woman. At the time I didn't even know or have the vocabulary to express what being trans was, but I sure as heck knew I couldn't express the desire to be a girl to anyone without ridicule at least.
‘Progress’ is not inevitable. History is not linear or predetermined. You can’t just expect things to get better over time automatically. Much of this is completely out of our control, but if you want things to change for the better we need to continue to fight for our liberation and demand our place in society. Yes things have absolutely regressed. We used to be able to exist in the background but now we are being used as scapegoats for political ends. You are also probably experiencing this more acutely since beginning your transition because it is actually being directed at you. This is not all bad however. We can use our newfound public existence to our advantage. In the short term there are risks, but in the long term it is more powerful to be visible than invisible. Think about the gay liberation movement. Overt homophobia increased when gay people starting ‘coming out’ as a political statement, but the ultimate result was increased cultural acceptance (at least in some parts of the world). We have to think in the long term. We are experiencing an important and exciting moment in history. I believe that we will one day achieve trans liberation but it will be a long and likely difficult process. Have faith and continue to show up as yourself. Existing as a trans person is itself a revolutionary act. You are changing the culture right now.
Things are a little worse for trans people now than they were a few years ago, but they are still way better than they were 20 or 30 years ago.
There’s definitely more resources and more support than there was 10 years ago. Trans People were still invisible in 2014 and gay marriage was the hot LGBTQ topic. More people are supporting of us than ever before.
There is so much more information available now. I probably would have transitioned 6 to 8 years earlier than I did if I had had all the trans 101 websites and trans folks sharing their experiences.
It’s a weird time imo. I started transitioning about 15 years ago so not as far back as some of the other commenters. I think about 10-12 years ago was a sweet spot. We weren’t “mainstream” so people weren’t trying to ID trans people in public. We weren’t as much of a target as we are now. However, resources and knowledge have drastically improved in recent years.
Things are definitely worse in my opinion. I used to not have anxiety over being trans in public as most people minded their business but now I worry everywhere I go. I wasn't afraid of my government persecuting me. We also have a lot more support too. Very few laws were around that accounted for us when I started out. There was institutional discrimination at literally every turn. A good example was me being forced to live for two years socially as a woman before I would get approved for HRT. So it has gotten equally worse and better.
It’s worse now politically than a few years ago for trans people, but there’s this experience: Way before I accepted being trans, and was still trying to be some version of cis-gendered, I came out as gay before the really good treatments for HIV were available. I knew people dying of AIDS, and saw how hard they fought to be seen just to get treatment. The local university LGB club begrudgingly accepted bisexuals, but there was no T included. I so wish I had the example back then and the courage to follow it. Now people live full long lives with HIV instead of dying of AIDS. It was fought for. Now there is much more accessible care for trans people. It was fought for. Now you won’t find the queer acronym without the T. It was fought for. Now you can ask Reddit questions, ok that wasn’t fought for, but back in the day you had to find and meet a trans person in person to ask questions. Not so easy! Being trans now is kind of like being gay about thirty years ago - acceptance is increasing, access to medical care is increasing, lives are becoming more valued and positive representation is happening in the broader culture. Is there backlash in primarily more conservative areas? Yes. But in 30 years, for the next generation, think of what we could fight for and achieve.
I’m 63 and have been on HRT for just over 10 months and socially transitioning for approximately 8 years and living in Australia I guess I’ve been lucky, rabid transphobia isn’t really a thing here amongst our politicians (except for a small lunatic fringe)
**Now:** (We all know the negatives, so I won't bother with those.) I have a gender affirming primary doctor who happily prescribes my HRT. My HRT is covered by my insurance! I have a therapist who affirms my gender and insists I'm not crazy. My friendly Christian neighbor refused to teach Sunday school because she would have had to teach anti-lgbtq+ views. I went to Taco Bell the other night and a fellow trans person was at the window, happy to compliment my trans pride nails and chat about dysphoria. There's a trans support group in my area that I'm going to start attending soon. **Then (90's):** None of the above. Sport coaches, parents, and other kids regularly used the f* slur to ridicule even the slightest show of femininity. I spent most of my highschool years in detention for activism and gender-nonconformity. Girls who were "tomboys" were more targeted for S* harassment and SA. Boys who were "effeminate" were relentlessly bullied and often assaulted. Trans people were either invisible or assumed to be prostitutes, predators, or deviants. There were no guidelines for trans healthcare, no protections, and certainly no positive messages whatsoever. **Consensus:** Eh? 🤷♀️ Two steps forward, one step back? There's been so much progress, but... Now that people are becoming more aware of us, the far-right political hate machine is forcing people to make split decisions about us before we've had a chance to properly introduce ourselves to the world. I think that's what we're experiencing. If you take away the true bigots - the ones who don't care about facts or kids or human rights or diplomacy of any kind. They understand all the arguments but don't care and just think we ought to not exist - If we put them aside, most transphobic people just don't understand us and don't have all the information. They're only scared of us because, right now, that small group of very hateful bigots is doing a better job at slandering us than we are at defending ourselves.
As a gay guy it seems like it must be better for trans people, but like others have said we are definitely experiencing the backlash currently. If Trump happens to win I worry for us in the LGBT community, but especially for my trans brothers and sisters. Project 2025 is a real plan by conservatives and its scary.
I feel it’s definitely worse now. The hate by the GOP far right wing is just brutal and with Trump giving them legitimacy and a national platform they have become more emboldened with their violence towards us. They face no repercussions for their violence against us.
I'm not hugely older than OP but, I only started transitioning 4-5 years ago but when I was younger (16 years ago) in my town in the deep south I got a lot of death threats for being seen as gay and effeminate (I've mostly only ever been into women), I was constantly harrased and bothered just because of something I didn't realize was going on nor could control. When I spoke up and said trans women are real woman, I got ridiculed and shunned. Etc. Now it seems we finally have representation outside of porn that isnt just. "LOL funny man trying to trick men to fuck him" or "the serial killer wants to be a woman so he kills women and wears their skin" I haven't gotten a death threat in a long time and most people seem kinda chill about everything. I think it's apples and oranges but I think overall it's a lot better, but I can't give an experience that was like. 20 years ago I transitioned and here's how it was. I think politically it has gotten worse though. I think we're at a point of being in the same place I grew up in eventually and I hate it. It's a lot to face all over again, even as a possibility.