Lisa Salazar's Posts

It’s a Sleight of hand. Many arguments against trans people work by leaving out important information. This trick is called an ‘enthymeme.’ An enthymeme is when someone makes an argument but leaves out a key idea, and the listener fills in the blank without even realizing it. This works because some words, like ‘children,’ ‘parents,’ ‘women,’ ‘safety,’ and ‘fairness,’ already make people feel a certain way. These words can make people agree with an argument before they even know what it is really about. A recent  study  in Canada found that phrases like ‘protecting children,’ ‘parental rights,’ and ‘gender ideology’ are used to make rules against trans people sound like they are just protecting others, even before it is shown that trans people are a problem. Here are some of the most important enthymemes I see operating now. Once you start listening for them, these missing premises show up everywhere. You can see many of these tricks in how politicians talk today. For example,...

Hoping to Reclaim Empathy and Justice in a Polarized World...  In 2016, before Trump won his first term as POTUS, hope was rising—fueled by growing public support, inclusive policies, and increased representation in media and politics. The conversation around transgender rights was no longer on the fringe; it was becoming part of the national dialogue. Yet, the years since have been tumultuous. A rising tide of anti-trans rhetoric, legislation, and cultural backlash has made the journey toward inclusion and empathy more urgent than ever. The Escalating Crisis The state of emergency for transgender individuals has only intensified. Anti-trans voices, once fringe, have grown louder and more organized. Across North America and beyond, legislative attacks on gender-affirming healthcare, access to public spaces, and even the right to self-identify have escalated. The polarization surrounding trans rights is no longer confined to social misunderstandings—it is a coordinated effort to rol...

In June 2015, one month after Caitlyn Jenner graced the cover Vanity Fair magazine, the Family Research Council (FRC) published their infamous white paper on how to fight the war against “transgenderism.” This paper spelled out the strategies that Christians should use to fight the war against trans people. Eight years later we are seeing the brutal consequences of this strategy being played out in Republican controlled State Legislatures as they create laws that criminalize doctors and parents who support and care for trans persons; in particular, trans youth. On the opposite side of the debate stands the American Medical Association (AMA). The AMA is clear about why trans health care is important and ethical and has  released several statements and policies regarding transgender individuals. Here is a short list: The AMA recognizes that transgender individuals experience unique health disparities and barriers to care, and supports efforts to address and eliminate these disparitie...