Transgender rights activists have often put empathy, understanding and unquestioned affirmation at the forefront of their political efforts. These approaches have seldom been effective strategies — and frankly, it’s not hard to see why.
Especially in recent years, the public’s view of trans people has been blemished. Simultaneously, the number of adverse legislative measures against trans people is increasing. In order to protect the lives and vital resources of the community, there needs to be a shift in narrative that can only be accomplished through cohesive, collective action. A greater degree of credibility must be established through strategic negotiation with the rest of society.
At the same time, the truths and tangible benefits of trans existence must shine through the struggles trans people face — both in the eyes of the general public and within the community itself. By embodying the virtues of self-betterment, community and open-mindedness, the trans rights movement can absolutely work to establish a new reputation for trans existence and gender diversity. And now more than ever, it’s vital to readjust our approach.
While conversations about trans people have surged through the mainstream in recent years, there have been previous decades of discourse within the LGBTQ+ community about the best path towards securing human rights for trans people — and moreover, human dignity. The question of whether or not cultural assimilation is a worthy or necessary trade-off gives crucial insight into one of the main issues that the trans movement actively struggles with — balancing self-affirmation with social reputability.
Put simply, assimilationists believe erasing perceptible giveaways of being trans and disappearing into cisgender society through appearance, disposition and lifestyle is the only viable option for escaping social and political subordination. Conversely, those in favor of liberation advocate for an approach that entirely and boldly rejects the cisheteronormative tendencies of society — i.e., the belief that heterosexuality and identifying with one’s biological sex is the correct way to live.
The pro-liberation account of securing trans rights and trans dignity is quite appealing to those disgruntled with the constrictive norms of society. However, the liberation approach misses the mark when it comes to establishing a sense of reputability, and the impact this has on the movement is severe. The ubiquitous truths of sexual dimorphism have served an integral purpose in the development of human society. Thus, in many cases, rejecting such obvious gender norms is an automatic dent in credibility. Trans people are desperately short on social capital because many of the assertions they make seem deluded to the general populace.
If not viewed as deluded, trans people are often portrayed as outright dangers to society. In 2024, Gallup found that over 50% of Americans see gender changes as morally wrong. A nationwide poll by the Los Angeles Times found that even those who are otherwise supportive of the LGBTQ+ community tend to shy away from pro-trans initiatives.
It’s a rather provocative idea to put children on synthetic sex steroids as early as their tween years. Concepts about undoing the Western gender binary and our strange terminologies read as complete gibberish to the average American. In the midst of marked political conflicts, many would agree that gripes with gender dysphoria are utterly laughable issues to be preoccupied with. Knowing this, our sense of efficacy could benefit from dialing back and starting on a more agreeable basis before making staunch claims that might be perfectly understandable to us but are nearly impossible to comprehend for much of society.
While there’s no doubt that true hate and deliberate misinformation are prolific, a significant number of people who oppose transgender issues are earnestly unclear on important truths that are hard to access without insider knowledge of the trans community. To meet the majority of society where they are at, there is a necessity to make negotiable claims — not louder, more emotionally-charged or more extreme claims — at least during this period in history.
On the flip side, however, the assimilationist account can come with just as many setbacks. For one thing, not all trans people have the luxury of becoming imperceptible. Genetics, social environment and resources all contribute to a person’s level of passability — how transgender they appear to others — and many of these elements can be formidable to overcome in many cases. Furthermore, many trans people see no value in disowning their visible transness — even if they technically could — and the reasons behind this are significant.
One of the biggest benefits of outward gender diversity is the social progress and personal growth that it can elicit. Traditional views on sex and gender often bind certain vocations, social customs, and even virtues to one sex or the other with strict exclusivity. However, people who willingly exhibit and live by more expansive views on gender are willing to eliminate psychological and social barriers that would otherwise inhibit their full potential — both to contribute to society and as an individual. In this way, a world with gender diversity and more expansive ideas about gender is a world with less restraints that the individual imposes on themself and that society collectively imposes on one another.
With the exception of going stealth for safety or personal well-being, total assimilation would only sustain the widespread ignorance and limiting conceptions about gender, which have made conditions so difficult to navigate for trans people in the first place. Deferring to automatic conformity would reproduce the same limiting social circumstances that negatively affect people of any gender, and limit us to mere bystanders as it happens.
Erasing visible transness would also limit the amount of knowledge humanity can access about itself. The discussion of trans rights is frequently limited to something as trivial as pronouns in the mainstream. However, when engaged with sincerity and in good faith, these discussions can enhance understanding of larger concepts like personal autonomy, medical ethics, evolutionary psychology, biological sciences and even metaphysics.
Gender transitions are life-changing processes centered around breaking barriers with intentional self-improvement. The benefits of these pursuits are countless for trans people, but the motivation behind them can be beneficial to anybody in society. This valuable truth cannot be accessed in hiding.
In short, radical liberation has its pitfalls in terms of conveying the level of cogency and soundness that is necessary for achieving trans rights activists’ desired aims. However, assimilation comes at the cost of erasure and social stagnation.
It’s necessary to combine the strengths of both assimilation and liberation to form a stronger approach. Establishing a clear, realistic and persuasive philosophy could be a major step in gaining social dignity and the level of respect necessary to enact meaningful change. This also involves strengthening our sense of community and developing self-sufficiency outside of external support. By increasing independent resilience through resources, merit or otherwise, the community can self-protect without a reliance on other actors.
It’s time to reroute the trans rights movement by establishing credibility, community, and self-sufficiency among trans and gender diverse people. We are absolutely capable of upholding healthier values with resolve and it’s absolutely imperative that we commit to seeing it through.
Casey Mendoza is a 2025-2026 Assistant Opinion Editor. He can be reached at caseym4@uci.edu.
Edited by Isabella Ehring and Kailee Kim.
