New Voices: Trans rights are under attack

Opinion editor's note: This article, part of our New Voices collection, was written by a first-time contributor to Star Tribune Opinion. For more information about our efforts to continually expand the range of views we publish, see startribune.com/opinion/newvoices.

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Critical race theory. Masks in schools. Vaccine mandates.

These have been big talking points in recent months, usually mentioned among things to ban. These efforts have seen successful here in Minnesota and across the country.

But there's another topic you can add to that list: transgender rights.

Over the past few years, we've seen people become political targets because of their race. The same can now easily be said for transgender, nonbinary and otherwise gender-nonconforming people. Reports of trans kids being bullied have skyrocketed across the country in recent months. The number of bans targeting LGBTQ-related books have jumped, too. More communities are also introducing new anti-trans measures impacting kids and adults alike. And, most unfortunately, more trans and gender-nonconforming people have been reported killed in 2021 than any other year.

While many of the measures have gone into effect in red states, their more liberal counterparts aren't exempt. In fact, here in Minnesota, Republican lawmakers failed to pass an amendment to the House's omnibus education bill just last session that would have imposed criminal penalties on trans girls who want to play on girls' sports teams. And in neighboring Wisconsin, a school district is being sued because it has a policy that lets trans students be addressed by their chosen name and gender.

I think the fight for trans equality has the potential to be like the fight for marriage equality here in Minnesota about 10 years ago. I hope it will have the same result, anyway. Democrats and others who believe in the fight need to be as vocal about trans rights as they were about same-sex marriage. You may not know an openly trans or nonbinary person, but that doesn't mean they — we — don't deserve equal rights.

Yes, I said we. Hi, I'm Cass, and I'm a nonbinary trans person. I live, love, work and play like everyone else. I just don't match the gender I was assigned at birth.

Minnesota is one of the better states for trans people like me. The Minnesota Human Rights Act protects us from discrimination, and you can get a gender-neutral "X" marker on your state ID. Despite that, Minnesota still has its issues. Nonprofit Gender Justice has helped several trans people, including youths, in cases where they were discriminated against for their identity. And the Waits family of Hastings made national headlines when 8-year-old Kit was outed following a heated school board election.

I've lived here for five years, three of which I've been openly nonbinary. Since then, Minnesota has given me hope. I like seeing people list their pronouns in Twitter bios and e-mail signatures, but I think we can do better. Nearly a thousand of you proved that when you gathered in Hastings in December to support Kit and other trans kids like them. And those kids got extra protections in schools at the start of the academic year. But much like the fight for racial equality, we shouldn't wait for a tragedy to make change happen.

So how can you help? Write your lawmakers at all levels — national, state and local. If there are measures protecting trans people on the books, thank them. If not, ask why not. Add your pronouns online and do your research. Googling "Trans 101" is a good place to start.