The New Wave of Anti-Trans Legislation Sure Looks a Lot Like Eugenics

^{Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash}

A huge wave of anti-transgender legislation is coursing through statehouses in the early months of 2021. Bills that have been introduced (often with the same or similar language across states) follow one of two models: Some prohibit trans youth from participating in female-designated sports programs, while others seek to criminalize the provision of age-appropriate, trans-affirming medical care to minors. If you’re wondering why legislators (and the advocacy groups that feed them policy ideas) are focused on these particular issues, it may be useful to consider the concept of eugenics. Yes, it’s a heavy word, evoking some of the more horrific historical misuses of “science,” but think about it: These are bills aimed at cleansing society of the “wrong” sort of people as soon as their difference makes itself visible, and promoting the right sort in their place.

Trans people have been talking about anti-trans measures in the context of eugenics for a while, but the most prominent voice linking the current GOP-led efforts with eugenics is ACLU lawyer (and sometime Slate contributor)...