Kris Campbell’s (no relation) op-ed about building bridges and de-escalation is full of very moral and good ideas.
Kris’s argument is one with which I largely agree — in theory. It would be nice if everyone could calm down a little and meet each other halfway. De-escalation is ideal. And, to be clear, what follows is not a condemnation, simply a difference of opinion.
The rhetoric against transgender people like Kris and me has reached a point that renders de-escalation moot.
Alex Franco. Nex Benedict. Meraxes Medina. River Goddard. Trans death is a daily reality in 2024. In Utah, trans people in state buildings risk arrest for doing business where they feel more comfortable. The returning president-elect has promised to restrict federal funding and rights for medical centers and organizations that support gender-affirming care. He has promised to effectively erase all existence of trans people at the federal level.
As sad as I was about federal election results, I was very encouraged to see that Sarah McBride in Delaware will be the first openly trans person elected to Congress. And then I saw that far-right conspiracy theorist Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene threatened to fight McBride if she encountered her in a women’s restroom. Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace filmed herself on the ground of the Capitol using an anti-trans slur while demonizing her new colleague. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, subsequently affirmed that trans women will not be allowed to use women’s restrooms in the U.S. Capitol.
Anti-trans laws are being proposed and passed almost every day in America. Federal lawmakers are condoning and/or encouraging violence against us. As a teacher and a trans person, my livelihood is in jeopardy.
My question would be: What does de-escalation do to help any of this?
Say I ran into Kera Birkeland by happenstance one of these days. What, pray tell, should I say to her? “I know you think I don’t have a right to exist, but I’m really not all that bad?”
What should Sarah McBride say to Marjorie Taylor Greene when they run into one another? “I know you think I’m mentally ill and a predator, but can’t we just chat?”
Trans rights is the civil rights movement of the 2020s. The trans community is seeing vitriol, backlash and violence unlike any previous time in the modern era: segregated bathrooms, targeted federal mandates, violence against agitators and trailblazers.
What shall we say to those who want us dead? What can we possibly do to deflect the violent-minded except defend ourselves in kind?
De-escalation is a hope. Defense is a reality and, for me, that means taking protective and preventative measures such as:
Changing my gender marker on my legal records before it is too late. Should the President-elect follow through on his campaign promises, it would be impossible for me to ever be legally recognized as a woman. After a decade of transitioning, I have still not taken this step and I know other trans people like myself who want to get this done before it is too late.
Buying a firearm and registering for a concealed carry permit. I have received death threats via social media in response to op-eds I’ve written in The Tribune. When I drive in my car with a large “TRANS LIVES MATTER” sticker on it, I am often the recipient of road rage and harassment from fellow drivers. To me, a threat to my safety is not a matter of “if”, but “when.” When that time comes, I intend to be prepared to defend myself — to the death if necessary.
Making plans for an LGBTQ+ education advocacy group, The Beehive Education Coalition, which will consist of teachers, students and family members who are LGBTQ+ or allies. In the days to come, community will be more important than anything. With education already under threat from GOP lawmakers, I want to lead efforts to organize and resist for our rights.
What I am not planning, however, is to turn the other cheek when it comes to the likes of Kera Birkeland; when it comes to people who view their fellow humans as political capital; when it comes to people who have no qualms threatening those with whom they do not agree; when it comes to people who not only condone but encourage the suffering of an already marginalized group, there is no de-escalation. There is no building a bridge with someone who thinks you haven’t got a right to exist in society.
Kera Birkeland is a human, just like Kris and myself, and is entitled to freedom and dignity, just like the rest of us. She is not, however, entitled to respect or authority when she uses her position of power to target a minuscule, already-beleaguered demographic’s right to a free life and equal protection under the law.
Trans people have been around in countless cultures for thousands of years. German Nazis in the 1930s attempted to do exactly what many U.S. Republicans are doing now. It did not work for the Nazis and it will not work for the GOP. As long as humans exist, trans people will always be around. We will never be silenced, erased or eradicated.
Kris, I have nothing but respect for you. But I am focused on the realities of now. And right now, you and I have one duty: to never give an inch when it comes down to our lives and our liberties.
In this case, there is no Venn diagram between defense and concession. There is no de-escalation of our lives, Kris.
Kiley M. Campbell
Kiley M. Campbell was born and raised in Salt Lake City. She has a master’s degree in education from Utah Valley University and works as a middle school teacher in the Salt Lake City area.
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