I Don’t Need Kamala Harris to Vocally Defend Trans People. I Need Her To Win.

Trans people represent less than 1 percent of the country’s population. You wouldn’t guess it based on how much you hear about us in American politics.

An unprecedented number of anti-trans bills — targeting nearly everything from healthcare to education — have swept state legislatures across the country. At least a dozen speakers at the Republican National Convention made transphobic or homophobic remarks, according to NBC News. Project 2025 likens trans identity “pornography”.

The right wants to legislate transgender people out of existence, and, for all the shortcomings of Democrats on trans issues, it’s imperative we vote to stop them.

This Election Day, trans people’s futures hang in the balance. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has promised a laundry list of anti-trans policies, including eliminating federal funding for schools with trans-inclusive teachers and declaring hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to be in violation of federal health and safety standards. These proposals would have devastating impacts, particularly for trans people dependent on federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

He seems to believe this is a winning issue. From Oct. 7 to Oct. 20 alone, more than 41 percent of the campaign’s ad spending went towards anti-trans advertisements — more than the amount spent on immigration, housing, or the economy, or any other issue.

As the right’s anti-trans rhetoric has gotten louder and louder, Democrats have largely kept quiet.

When asked about gender-affirming healthcare in a recent interview with NBC, Vice President Kamala Harris said “I think we should follow the law,” adding, when pressed, “that is a decision that doctors will make in terms of what is medically necessary.”

I would’ve preferred a more full-throated defense. But what’s more worrying by far is that in this political climate, anything more direct might actually be counterproductive.

In a recent Gallup poll, transgender issues ranked dead last (out of 22 total areas) in importance to voters. Frankly, the average American spends little time thinking about trans people, the bathrooms we use, or the healthcare we receive. And while I long for a future where we are enthusiastically embraced, visibility can be a double-edged sword.

Our community is more prominent than ever — and more politically besieged. So if the choice is between visibility and safety, I’ll choose safety every time.

Trans people don’t need political lip-service or empty virtue signaling. We need politicians who will do the work to protect us. Whether that work is done vocally or behind the scenes makes little effective difference.

The Biden-Harris administration has overseen the defeat of dozens of anti-trans policy riders in congressional bills and litigated against gender-affirming healthcare bans in the landmark Supreme Court case U.S. v. Skrmetti.

It’s true that Harris’ record on trans issues is far from perfect and by no means above criticism. But she’s done a lot of good, too. And when the alternative is so dangerous, electing a president who plans to “follow the law” and keep medical decisions between doctors and their patients may very well be the best thing we can do to help protect access to gender-affirming care.

Of course, the safety of the trans community depends on much more than the top of the ballot. In the past year, one in five transgender Americans lost access to healthcare because of anti-trans policies at the state and local levels, according to a report from FOLX.

No matter which candidate wins, there’s still far more to be done to protect the rights and autonomy of all trans people. But today, all we can do is cast our ballots.

To say that I’m worried about the outcome of the election is an understatement. I’m worried about the most vulnerable members of my community — those who can’t afford to pay for healthcare out of pocket or move to safer climes if things get too dire. I’m worried about all those who’ve already lost access to these basic rights.

I’m worried because when my parents ask me what this election means for my future, I don’t have a good answer for them.

Nevertheless, I remain hopeful. Hopeful because relying on anti-trans hate has cost Republicans elections before. Hopeful because trans people have always existed, and because our community is resilient. Hopeful because I don’t know how to be anything else.

E. Matteo Diaz ’27, a Crimson Editorial Comp Director, is a double concentrator in Social Studies and Applied Mathematics in Leverett House.