The trans community experiences a surge of hope within deep election anxiety, report finds

With so much talk about the trans community, much of it in the form of vitriol from the right, there are few platforms for the actual voices of trans people. Now a new report is giving insight into how trans people are thinking about the coming election — and how they’re preparing for either outcome.

The report comes from Folx, the largest queer healthcare provider in the US. By surveying over 1200 trans adults between July 17 and July 28, the report offers perspectives both before and after Biden’s exit from the race. Throughout the report, the term “transgender” refers collectively to respondents who identify outside of their assigned birth gender, including gender diverse, genderqueer, Two Spirit and nonbinary individuals.

The broad strokes of the report are an uncomfortable combination of anxiety and hope, as the trans community navigates a mounting assault on their right to exist (in the form of over 500 anti-queer bills introduced this year). As Folx summed it up, survey respondents are “freaked out and fired up.”

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Unfortunately (if unsurprisingly) the upcoming election has already had severe repercussions for the mental health and relationships of trans people. A staggering 95% of respondents reported negative mental health impacts, and 84% are in fear for their family’s safety. 86% say the election has strained in their relationships, and 82% have endured harassment and bullying.

But the trans community isn’t just stewing in anxiety. 76% of respondents are already taking action to prepare for the election’s outcome. This includes 41% seeking expedited gender affirming care, 39% stockpiling medication, 33% securing or renewing passports, and 32% updating their other identity documents. Given that 1 in 5 respondents have already lost healthcare to anti-trans laws, there’s no paranoia in these preparations.

Perhaps the most straightforward way the trans community is preparing for the election is through their actual vote. As to what will decide that vote, the top issue was commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. A close second was preserving democracy.

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But even as the outlook in this election is particularly bleak, the recent change in the Democratic ticket has engendered a surge of hope. While Biden was the Democratic nominee, only 14% of respondents said they were hopeful about the election. That number jumped to 48% after Biden dropped out — an increase of 68%. Similarly, respondents are now four times as enthusiastic as they were before.

When you consider that 90% of respondents are registered voters (with 37% of the remainder planning to do so before the election), the trans community is more than ready to turn that hope into action.

“I hope the election brings positive changes that will improve our community and provide more opportunities for growth and well-being,” one respondent said. “I’m looking forward to a future where we all benefit from better policies and leadership.”