LISA SALAZAR — BLOG

Let me count the ways. But First, a Bit of Transphobia’s Historical Context Transphobia is deeply rooted in history, shaped by cultural, religious, and political forces that have long marginalized those who challenge traditional norms. Anti-trans feminism and religious conservatism have often intersected to form a formidable front against transgender rights. In the late 20th century, feminist movements seeking to dismantle patriarchal structures inadvertently gave rise to factions that excluded trans women from their advocacy. These factions perpetuated the notion that trans women, by virtue of their assigned gender at birth, could never fully understand or embody womanhood while failing to recognize the traumatic effect of having been socialized as their wrong gender and then having to dismantle and deconstruct years of internalized transphobia resulting from it. At the same time, religious institutions reinforced the binary understanding of gender as divinely ordained. Any deviation ...

This should be made into a large billboard. Well, colour me shocked. In the relentless crusade to "protect the children" from the supposed horrors of gender-affirming care, a new study calmly dismantles the argument like a toddler knocking over a Jenga tower. The study reveals that cisgender males overwhelmingly benefit from procedures that could be classified as gender-affirming care—80% of breast reductions among adults and a jaw-dropping 97% among minors are performed on cis males. But please, do go on about how we’re all rushing to perform irreversible surgeries on toddlers wielding glitter. The findings should give anyone, even a casual observer, pause. They show that among minors, these procedures are exceedingly rare, with zero instances in children under 12. Imagine that—a system with “stringent standards” doing exactly what it claims to do. Shocking! Meanwhile, while lawmakers froth at the mouth over a non-existent epidemic of gender-affirming surgeries for minors,...

Disgust is a deeply human emotion. At its core, it has helped us survive—steering our ancestors away from rotting food, diseased bodies, and potential threats. But as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio program  IDEAS  recently explored, disgust is more than a survival mechanism. It is also a double-edged sword, wielded by cultures, religions, and politics to define morality, enforce social norms, and exclude those deemed “other.” The  IDEAS  episode titled  Disgust: The Good and Evil  shed light on the complexity of disgust and its troubling potential to drive prejudice. Experts discussed how this visceral emotion, while rooted in evolutionary necessity, often misfires, turning instinct into irrationality. As a trans woman, I have experienced firsthand how disgust can be weaponized—how it fuels transphobia and justifies the dehumanization of people like me. This is not just a personal reflection but a societal challenge: to confront the ways...

Just weeks after a Daily Wire host called for “eliminating transgenderism,” Fox News host Tucker Carlson described in apocalyptic terms that transgender people are the “natural enemy” of Christianity on his show last night in a rant about the Nashville school shooter, who is possibly transgender. “The trans movement is the mirror image of Christianity and, therefore, its natural enemy,” he said. Firstly, Christianity is a religion based on love, compassion, and acceptance of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity. Jesus Christ himself emphasized the importance of treating others with kindness and love, and his message was intended for all people, regardless of their race, gender, or background. Therefore, it is incorrect to suggest that transgender individuals are the "natural enemy" of Christianity. Secondly, transgender individuals face significant discrimination and marginalization in society. They are often subjected to verbal and physical abuse, denied acce...