The following is an opinion piece and reflects the views of the author, not those of Queer Kentucky. Our op-ed section exists to uplift diverse LGBTQ+ voices and perspectives across the state. We publish these submissions as part of our mission to encourage cultural critique, thoughtful commentary and dialogue that matters to our community.

The horror sets in on what we all knew would come. A poem by Martin Niemöller plays out like a guide. We’ve seen the Wehrmacht begin its march. Taking blame for violence caused by the Reich. Next, they will come, and they won’t stop with us. 

In January I wrote an article about my feelings just before Trump’s inauguration.  Sharing my dreams that I was just being over dramatic and Project 2025 was all but the boogie man, a myth with no real cause for fear. If only I could wake up from this nightmare instead. Project 2025 is real, and we have seen its implementation every step of the way. From gutting government funding and resources to mass kidnappings by masked men. It’s far too late for dreaming.

“He would never get away with it.” “Even other republicans don’t like Trump.” “The rich will get mad when they lose money.” Blah blah blah. He can and he will get away with it. No amount of infighting, lost bonus packages, or client list will stop what is coming. Our democracy has been dismantled in mere months. Checks and balances thrown away with the bathwater. So please, leave behind the ifs and buts. 

Some aspects of Project 2025 have shifted. What was originally moving toward labeling queer and trans people as pedophiles has now taken a detour— we’re being reframed as a terrorist threat, or as they’re now calling it, “Nihilistic violent extremist” I can only assume this detour is a distraction from the numerous allegations of pedophilia involving members of the current administration. I have no doubt they’ll circle back to the original narrative in due time.

There are many things the Reich is still pushing for as planned from Project 2025: removing all records of trans people from government sites, making passports require assigned birth sex, removing gender-affirming care from Medicaid, making rules to ban trans people from sports, removing trans people from the armed forces, the DOJ looking for a way to ban trans people from owning guns, as well as banning trans people from getting passports at all so we have no way to flee the country for asylum. The list goes on — but hey, they did make sure to remove all reports showing that conservative white cis males are the largest group committing acts of domestic terrorism. Wouldn’t want those great people getting mixed up with us awful trans terrorists, would we?

So what makes me, a trans woman who’s only act of violence being the time she hit a home intruder over the head with a thermos, a Nihilistic violent extremist? Before transitioning and getting sober, I could see myself being nihilistic at times. Transitioning gave my life meaning, sobriety has given it purpose. If you could classify any of my beliefs as extremist, it would be the equality, socialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-tyranny views that I share with Jesus as is taught in the Bible. Beliefs that I would never kill for, though I am willing to die for them. Another thing we share.

What would violence from trans people even change? Yes, it would seem the legal system has completely failed us, and we are left on our own in the world’s eyes and protesting without action changes nothing. Do we riot like Stonewall across each state? As if that wouldn’t make everything the right is saying about us true in their eyes. Giving the Reich even more cause to have ICE disappear us or just shoot us down in the streets like. 

One percent of the U.S. population isn’t capable of making any changes on their own. At least not the 1% of trans people in the U.S. It’s not like trans people are the 1% with all the wealth. Is it really that we are all Nihilistic violent extremists or is it just that we are the smallest minority they can go after, knowing we have no way of fighting back, let alone being capable of defending ourselves? It won’t stop with us, it won’t stop with you, it will only stop when one man owns the world in full. 

This isn’t the first dictator to pop up on this pale blue dot, and it won’t be the last. Even after Trump is gone another will come in his place. We were taught the entire playbook used in the rise of tyranny, yet we fell to it just as easily as all those before us. Replace Judaism with Transgenderism, us versus them, them versus us. Copy, paste, repeat, repeat, and repeat. As long as power and wealth exist, so too will the hatred of others. No matter how long power and dictators exist, being trans will outlive them all.

Since the Stone Age we have found burials, reports, and tells of two-spirited, third and fourth gendered people. Some even under a religious cause. Are we to believe that even before the Bible every trans person ever has been evil and violent? That this is some kind of political movement and ideology passed down in a secret knights templar style cult? (Though they were a pretty gay group of guys and I don’t mean happy). No, that would be a childish and ignorant belief. One I don’t even believe Trump himself has, only that we are an easy target to prey on from his dictatorship manual.

So, should us trans people be the ones to stand up and fight back against this dictatorship? No. It is our allies that will need to begin this battle. It is the people reading this with empathy—others, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and everyone with a trans person in your life that will need to be our shield.  Trans people are not violent, and we are weak in numbers. Our fight would not last without you. Your children, your siblings, your friends and your loved ones will be tortured and killed. Next, they will come for you, as they came for us.