Appreciate your reply. I don’t profess to know the individual situations (and have never experienced for myself) what it’s like to be trans. 

As with anything like this, of course there are deep nuances, unique circumstances, and the “right” thing can be different for different people.

It’s also true that with any polarizing issue, you end up with an extremely vocal minority who can end up pushing things too far. (Especially when that voice is born out of the frustration and grief of being oppressed, marginalized, scorned, abused, and disproportionately murdered).

But the casual, glib statement that “there are only two genders” is more insidious than an opinion. (First, it’s by definition an un-informed opinion — how could anyone who isn’t trans actually deeply understand it? Second, it’s the framework on top of which society as a whole decides how people should be treated, and trans people are disproportionately treated horribly).

I don’t buy the comprehensive conspiracy theory view here at all. But sure, politicians use sensitive, inflammatory issues to stoke division all the time. It’s sure as hell working in this context. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t also an underlying issue.

Many societies, throughout the history of humanity have, recognized a third or unspecified “gender” that doesn’t match the “gear”. Frequently these individuals have been honored, rather than oppressed.

I’m not taking a prescriptive stance about the individual situations here (who should do what with their body and when). That’s up to the individual.

But I’m confident that when a minority group says “this is what life is like for us, and it’s hard” that the right thing to do is to listen first, and listen long. 

Instead, most people react because it challenges their worldview. That type of fear can be deadly.