Trans people: we’re a hot-button wedge issue in the election from hell! And as much as we love serving as convenient political props for people in Kentucky to fight over, the fact is that most people don’t actually care what we do, and that’s as it should be.
According to a June poll from NORC and the Los Angeles Times, 77% of American respondents believe that the political attacks on transgender and nonbinary citizens serve as a distraction to the real issues, as Erin Reed recently reported. And yeah, like, of course! Most cis people genuinely don’t care about what queer and trans people are doing with their lives, because why on Earth should they? But since crusading against trans rights has become such a reliable shock-and-awe tactic for conservatives, we keep on getting subjected to screeds about how trans folks stand against all logic, reason, and science. Which, coming from the mouths of people who don’t believe in global warming, is quite something.
RelatedWhy use the label “ex-gay” if it’s not actually the truth?
One-trick ponies—like Project 2025 architect and former Tr*mp lackey John McEntee—love to use their bigoted ideas about queer and trans folks to gain huge numbers on social platforms. McEntee, the diseased mind behind the conservative dating app The Right Stuff and its bizarre TikTok account @daterightstuff, keeps talking about trans people in his videos, and at this point, trans folks are feeling like the lady doth protest to much.
Culture, unfiltered
Twice a week, our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
Now look, I know it’s not politic to use the “closeted gay bully” trope in real life, but it’s often the case that the people screaming the loudest about trans people are usually doing it to convince themselves that they shouldn’t transition. Otherwise why would they be so obsessed? Consider a recent stitch of a 2023 video of McEntee looking kind of great in a bralette during a Nike shoot. Why is he wearing a bralette? I don’t know, but gender euphoria would be my guess! And as many others have commented, it feels like McEntee’s time might be better spent shopping for more bralettes instead of talking about how airport patdowns aren’t inherently gay.
“I think she might actually be trans,” wrote one commenter under the stitch. Another wrote: “can’t believe daterightstuff started hrt before me.” You and me both! Other commenters noted that the color looks great on her, and that it’s only a matter of time before we get the FFS fanart.
It might have started as a joke, but the more McEntee posts about trans people, the stronger this theory gets. Because once again: why are you thinking about trans people 24/7 if you’re just some cis guy? The math? It ain’t mathin’, folks.
It also wouldn’t be anything new: from Caitlyn Jenner to Blaire White to the “my pronouns are USA” girl, coming out as a conservative pick-me trans woman is a time-honored tradition around these parts. So even if McEntee one day decides to embrace their true identity, the trans community won’t exactly be welcoming them with open arms.