Senate Victory Points to Next Trans Battle: Defeating Disinformation
Quality information that accurately represents medical science and reflects trans perspectives is a huge factor in swaying public opinion.
by Billie Jean Sweeney
You could almost feel a heave of relief among trans people when Senate Democrats turned back a sweeping federal sports ban on Monday. Not only was it our biggest win in some time, it seemed to signal a potential change in momentum.
Though two Democrats did not vote, none crossed over to the Republican side. Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, whose decision was closely watched because he’s acknowledged the potency of anti-trans attack ads, made a point of saying later that he wanted to be an ally of schoolchildren.
The Democrats’ unity is noteworthy (and praiseworthy), but it is also precarious. For the last two years, Republicans had found only political gain in promoting bigoted policies.
Public support for trans-inclusion has eroded across party lines since 2022, a Pew survey found last week. Democratic respondents remain broadly supportive of trans people today, Pew found, but anti-trans views had hardened among independent respondents.
What changed since Pew last took its last poll, in June 2022? For one, right-wing media produced a flood of disinformation intended to sow anti-trans suspicion and promote bias against trans people.
Most voters know little to nothing about us. This void, now polluted by disinformation, is where minds are changed. Quality information that accurately represents medical science and reflects trans perspectives is a huge factor in swaying public opinion.
As it happened, just a couple hours before the Senate vote, GLAAD released an analysis of media coverage of Trump’s anti-trans campaign. Most first-day stories produced by six of the biggest mainstream media outlets included no trans voices, GLAAD found, and even fewer had context that countered Trump’s bigoted rhetoric.
Another of GLAAD’s take-aways: “Outlets that have out LGBTQ reporters, reporters with established relationships with LGBTQ advocacy groups, and outlets with units dedicated to coverage of diverse topics, were more likely to include transgender voices and accurate context.”
This is where better, fairer journalism matters. We can speak out against bias disguised as “news.” We can underline when even well-intentioned news reports omit important context.
We can support the first-rate trans journalists in mainstream media, even as we demand that their employers hire more. The New York Times has no trans journalists covering trans issues in the newsroom, for example, and that absence shows in its work.
And we can support independent trans journalists. Many truly excellent sources of news are not only produced by us and for us, but also amplify our voices for the cis world. We can subscribe and share this work widely.
Struggles for human rights are invariably marked by setbacks, but regaining our footing in the information war is a very important first step.
Billie Jean Sweeney is a news editor, press freedom advocate and trans woman.