Evelyn Shimel: LGBTQ+ people are not going back

As Republicans continue to roll out Jim Crow laws for transgender people and a gravely disappointing number of Democrats remain silent or capitulate, it is imperative that LGBTQ+ people and allies firmly assert: We are not going back.

These attacks on transgender rights are not isolated incidents. Republican leaders and pundits have openly admitted that they view these efforts as part of a broader, long-term strategy to dismantle all LGBTQ+ rights. This assault on transgender rights is part of a larger wave of attacks on bodily autonomy, attacks that also target women’s health care.

I’m a transgender woman, and despite what many would have you believe, I am a human being deserving of rights, respect and dignity like anyone else. I will not accept being used as an expendable bargaining chip in futile, short-sighted political games designed to chase polls. Should Democrats as a whole fail to strongly defend LGBTQ+ rights, then I will not support them. I won’t vote for them, I won’t donate to them, I won’t volunteer for them, nor will I defend them.

I’m not asking for perfection. I’m asking for a serious, committed defense of LGBTQ+ rights. LGBTQ+ people represented 8% of all U.S. voters in 2024, and 86% voted for Kamala Harris. Democrats cannot win without us. We are not to be taken for granted. We are an essential part of the coalition. This is a crucial moment. Your voice matters. Contact your elected officials and make it clear that LGBTQ+ rights are nonnegotiable.

Evelyn Shimel

Florence