By R.J. Melby 

Writer/Reporter 

A week ago, on the White House website, the Trump administration made a post on a win against what they called “Transgender insanity,” in response to the Supreme Court ruling against transgender people in sports. 

According to USAfacts, the Household Plus Survey conducted a study between May to September of 2024. In the report, 1% of the United States identified as transgender (the equivalent of 2.3 million adults). Meanwhile, “Transgender people make up a tiny fraction of all athletes,” according to a quote from NCAA president Charlie Baker in December 2024 as reported by The Hill. 

Yet, the Trump administration continues to place blame on the trans community, writing “The Court’s decision is a landmark victory for common sense, biological reality, and for the millions of women and girls who deserve a level playing field.” As is common for the White House site, many posts only show a partial picture of a deeper issue, and the way this administration paints the transgender community is part of a growing problem in the United States. 

The Trump administration has made attacks on transgender rights on numerous occasions, using loaded language and buzz words like “gender mutilation” to describe gender reassignment, thus demonizing a common procedure. Their rhetoric also paints trans women as dangerous to others, in bathrooms, and in sports. This dehumanization of the transgender community has had real world consequences. 

Crimes against transgender individuals seem to be on the rise. Recently, the body of Persia Amarra Conway, a trans woman, was discovered along the Brays Bayou in Harris County, Texas. This is just one of several reports of violence against the transgender community. 

According to The Williams Institute, hate crimes against transgender people have risen in recent years.  Compared to 2018, hate crimes motivated by gender identity made up 2.2% of all hate crimes. By 2024, this rose to 3.9%. Meanwhile, USAFacts reports that hate crimes fueled by gender identity have doubled since 2015. In 2024, 378 of 521 reported gender identity hate crimes were reported by the FBI. 

It is worth noting that, on the subject of bathrooms, The Williams Institute also reported in a 2025 study showing no evidence of dangers in allowing transgender people to use their chosen bathroom. In fact, laws with bathroom enforcement shows little to no effect on the rate of bathroom incidents across the country, regardless of what the Trump administration says. 

Despite the harm this demonization of the trans community has brought, the Trump administration continues to make hateful claims while also barring their rights. Their attempts to erase the existence of genders beyond the binary system leads one to wonder if this is from lack of exposure or plain, willful ignorance.