It’s been a strange month for transgender political activists in the U.S., as the nation has witnessed a presidential election result with potentially dire consequences for trans rights, but also a number of surprising and historic political wins, including the election of the first-ever openly transgender member of Congress, Democrat Sarah McBride in Delaware.

While much of the focus has been on the presidential pick, the down-ballot election results tell a story of a country that is deeply divided over gender issues — and not at all persuaded by the relentless anti-trans fearmongering employed during this election cycle. Republicans spent nearly $215 million on anti-trans television ads during the 2024 election, which Truthout reports amounts to about $134 per trans person in the country. Their campaign platforms included a disproportionate focus on a number of issues most voters don’t care much about: banning LGBTQ books in schools, keeping trans women and girls from playing sports, and restricting trans people’s access to necessary health care.

The excessive spending on scapegoating trans people did not have its intended effect — in spite of Donald Trump’s win at the national level, many states and localities held off victories for those who have focused their energy on targeting this tiny minority group.

In North Carolina, statewide races showed an electorate that is not interested in uber-conservative anti-trans leadership at the state level. Although Trump took the state, it also squarely turned down virulent anti-trans candidate Mark Robinson for governor (Robinson had both campaigned on anti-trans political stances and been revealed to be a fan of online trans pornography), choosing to elect Democrat Josh Stein, the state’s previous attorney general. The North Carolina attorney general’s seat was taken over by another Democrat who has defended trans rights, Jeff Jackson; he won handily over Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, the sponsor of the original “bathroom bill” that led to nationwide protests in 2016. Bishop’s agenda included banning gender-affirming care.

In New York, voters passed a statewide ballot initiative that amends the state constitution to protect New Yorkers from discrimination on the basis of gender identity or pregnancy status, which Democrats hoped would increase turnout from voters who wish to........

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