If you are in the US during the 2024 election season and consume any kind of media whatsoever, you’ve likely been exposed to a relentless wave of anti-trans campaign commercials.
It’s intense, y’all. The far Right’s escalating anti-trans rhetoric, championed by Trump and fueled by an unprecedented $25 million+ in television ad campaign spending since August 2024 alone, is not just a campaign strategy but a profoundly dangerous cultural assault.
These ads attempt to paint trans people as threats to society, attempting to establish transphobia as a rallying point for conservative power beyond election cycles. What we are watching is a deliberate escalation, using trans people as convenient targets while fostering an atmosphere of hostility that poses long-term risks to the safety and rights of marginalized communities.
Republican Ad Buys vs What Voters Actually Care About
Let’s look at the blatant disconnect between these Republican ad buys and the issues that matter to most Americans. A recent Gallup survey shows exactly what voters are caring and thinking about.
Spoiler alert: transgender rights are literally at the bottom of the list.
Now let’s compare this to Donald’s ad buys—and just a reminder that trans people make up barely 1/2 of 1% of the American population.
Spoiler alert: this man gives zero shits about what people need or care about.
By focusing on trans issues as a “crisis,” these ad campaigns sideline the urgent problems that impact voters daily. Polls repeatedly show that most Americans aren’t prioritizing trans rights as a voting issue, yet the massive ad spending suggests a calculated attempt to redirect attention toward transphobia as a core issue, distorting the political landscape.
Anti-trans ads aren’t about responding to voters’ needs; they’re about creating a wedge issue, fueling division and fear while dodging accountability on policies that could actually improve lives. A choice has been made to ignore voters’ real concerns, with the far Right choosing instead to polarize the public over manufactured threats.
“What this demonstrates is that attacking the trans community isn’t just a weak and feckless political strategy—it’s a deeply cynical one. These ads weaponize trans-identity to sow fear and division, making our country less safe for everyone.”
The Human Side of Hateful Ads
For obvious reasons, I won’t be linking to or embedding any of these garbage ad pieces of ignorant hatefulness. Instead, I’ll share a few text messages I have received from friends back home in Texas from the last 2 weeks ABOUT these ads:
“I’m so happy (but obviously not really happy) that y’all aren’t here to endure the tidal wave of transphobic Tr*mp ads that are playing every hour. can you imagine trying so hard to get people to hate a fraction of the American population for literally no reason?”
“I SWEAR IT IS EVERY 10 MINUTES NOW. It’s a bad look for these campaigns and just torture for people with any kind of heart to watch day in and day out. I hope you and Noah aren’t having to watch the same things we are.”
“Are normal people even really upset that trans people happen to exist and want basic human rights? I can’t find a single stat that would explain why anyone would funnel so much $$ into screaming about a tiny group of people who already have such a hard life in this country.”
I honestly don’t know how many of these transphobic ad campaigns my son has been exposed to, but I’d be a fool to believe that he and other beloved friends in the trans community haven’t been hit in the gut more than a few times with this relentless messaging that paints them as threats, miscasts their identities and questions their very right to exist safely and openly.
It’s impossible to imagine the weight of constantly being made the target of fear, suspicion, and hate—especially when these messages are funded by millions and broadcast everywhere, from social media to primetime television.
Trans People + Their Allies Are Voters Too
But there is a bright and beautiful side to this election for me. Noah turned 18 this summer and we spent hours filling out our sample ballots and then went to vote in-person for his very first time. It was profoundly emotional for me, watching my eldest take yet another step into adulthood and come into their own as a more officially civically engaged human in a state we now call home that is truly passionate about its voter culture.
The trans kids that have been stepped all over for years are coming of age and they are eager to lift their voices even when millions are spent to silence, shame and erase them. See you at the polls - don’t forget to do your research and prep your ballot in advance (vote411.org is our favorite place to do exactly that).
TLDR Quick Summary:
The anti-trans ads we’re seeing aren’t about addressing what voters need; they’re designed to create fear, division, and a “common enemy” to distract from the real issues affecting most Americans.
Polls show that trans rights rank extremely low among voters’ priorities, which makes the massive ad spending on this issue a clear mismatch with what people actually care about.
Despite the relentless attacks, trans youth are stepping into their civic roles by voting and pushing back against efforts to silence and erase them, showing the strength and determination of a new generation.
