Fear for what's ahead

Speaks for itself

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately.And one thing has become painfully clear to me:

Most people will never understand the fear that Trans people feel right now.

I hear it all the time — from well-meaning people who think they’re offering comfort:“Just power through it.” “We’ll get through it.”“It’s only four years. No big deal.”

But you know what? It is a big damn deal.

It’s a huge deal to Trans people. Because in those four years, Trump and his Republican allies could strip away everything we’ve fought for. They’ve already promised to do exactly that.

In four years, they could make us disappear.

Let me be very clear about what’s at stake here:

• Trans athletes? Banned from competition.

• Gender markers on IDs? Erased.

• Protections in schools, workplaces, healthcare? Gone.

• Our very existence? Labeled as "lunacy" — their word, not mine.

That’s not just rhetoric. That’s a plan. And it’s already happening.

Four Years of Fear

You see, for many people, the next four years might feel like a hard pill to swallow — but for the Trans community, it’s a nightmare.

We’ve fought for our rights for decades. We've fought to live authentically, to have our gender recognized, to be safe in public spaces. And now, we’re watching all of that progress dangle by a thread.

Do you know what that kind of fear does to a person?

Since November, I’ve been having nightmares.Night after night, my mind is filled with images of my rights being stripped away, of being made less than human, of being assaulted simply for existing.

I don't talk about it often, because who wants to hear about someone else's nightmares? Who wants to hear that kind of vulnerability? People tend to read, like, and scroll on by. But it’s real.

This is my reality. It’s the reality for so many Trans people. We’re terrified.

And we’ve seen this before.

History Repeating Itself?

I know there are people in the cisgender community who have our backs. And believe me — I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for every ally who speaks up, who fights alongside us.

But it’s the silence that terrifies me.

It’s the silence that reminds me of the steps that led to World War II — when people stood by and did nothing as oppression crept in, little by little, until it was too late.

It’s the silence that kills.

We’ve seen it throughout history: oppression doesn’t start with gas chambers and concentration camps. It starts with dehumanizing language. It starts with small, calculated laws designed to make certain groups of people less. It starts when politicians talk about us like we’re a “problem” to be solved.

And it continues when people look the other way.

Well, I’m asking you: Don’t look away.

“There Are Bigger Problems” — Are There?

Some people will say, “There are bigger problems in the world right now.”And you know what? I agree.

There are so many pressing issues: climate change, poverty, inequality, war.

But here’s the thing — the people in power, the ones making these anti-Trans policies, aren’t solving those problems. They’re creating new ones.

Instead of addressing poverty or healthcare or education, they’re laser-focused on our genitals. Instead of working to solve hunger, they’re obsessed with what’s in our pants. Instead of fixing crumbling infrastructure or addressing economic disparity, they’re crafting laws to make sure Trans people can’t exist in public spaces.

So if you care about the bigger problems? Get your elected officials to focus on those problems.Tell them to stop using Trans people as scapegoats for their failures.

Because the next four years won’t be a footnote in history for us.For us, it’s life or death.

The Personal Cost

This isn’t just political for me. It’s personal.

I’m Scottish by birth. But I’ve lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years.I’ve worked here. I’ve built my life here. This is my home.

And now, I’m terrified that the country I’ve poured my life into is about to reject me.

Where will I go if that happens?

I have no property or prospects in Scotland. I have no family that can help me.

And I worry about what will happen to my wife and me as we grow older.

If they strip away my rights, my legal identity, my protections —Where do I go? What do I do?

I feel like I’m being backed into a corner, with nowhere to turn. All because of Trump, his MAGA followers, and the silent majority that enables them.

I’ve spent a lifetime fighting to live as my authentic self.And now, I’m afraid I’m going to lose it all in the blink of an eye.

Why Do They Fear Us?

And here’s the thing I’ve come to realize:

There’s a reason why the people in power want to silence voices like mine.

It’s because they know how powerful we are when we refuse to be erased.They know that our stories — the truth of our lives — have the power to make people stop, think, and change.

And that terrifies them.

They want to make us invisible, because they know that when people see us, when they hear us, they’ll realize we’ve been human all along.

They know that visibility leads to empathy.Empathy leads to allyship.And allyship leads to change.

And you know what scares them more than anything?The fact that no matter how hard they try to erase us, we’re still here. We’re still speaking. We’re still fighting.

Because when you’ve fought your entire life just to exist — you don’t give that up without a fight.

Enough is Enough

And you know what? I’ve realized something else, too.

Nothing gets me nowhere.

If I say nothing, if I do nothing, my rights get taken away from me.If you stay silent, if you scroll past, if you tell yourself “someone else will handle it” — we get erased.

It’s time to stop doing nothing.

It’s time to open your damn eyes.

See what happens when a government becomes obsessed with erasing Trans people.See what happens when we allow hate and bigotry to go unchecked.See what happens when people’s uneducated opinions about gender dictate policy.

Because if you don’t see it now, you’ll see it later —When it’s too late.

The Hardest Truth

This is hard for me to say, because despite everything I’ve shared, I’ve never been this open before.

But I’ll say it now:

I’m scared.

I’m terrified that my rights will be taken away.

I’m terrified that I’ll be legislated out of existence.

I’m terrified that the progress I’ve made over the last decade will be wiped away with a stroke of a pen.

I’m terrified that my very existence will be criminalized.

And I have nowhere to go.

That’s the hardest truth of all.

But the second hardest truth?

I’m not alone in this fear.

There are countless Trans people out there feeling the exact same thing — feeling like the walls are closing in, feeling like no one is listening.

So if you’re reading this, if you’ve made it this far:

Listen.Speak up.Act.

Because if you’re silent, you’re complicit.And if you’re complicit, you’re part of the problem.

Trans people need you to do more than “like” or “scroll.”We need you to stand with us — loudly, visibly, relentlessly.

Because nothing gets us nowhere.