Transgender supporters of the United States Pirate Party are warning that the trans community is facing escalating political attacks and can no longer rely on major political parties for protection, urging members to shift toward community organizing and mutual aid.
In a statement for Transgender Day of Visibility under the collective pseudonym “Iris Sappho,” the authors say recent months have brought legal setbacks and intensified rhetoric targeting trans people, eroding protections they once viewed as secure.
“We’ve seen rulings stripping away hard fought for rights, challenging rights we once thought secure,” the statement reads. “In many ways those of us in the community have been sleeping assuming that the folks above us both outside and within the government would have the spine to fight for those of us without a voice.”
The group places responsibility on both major political parties, noting that trans people have been threatened “with the power of the state for decades.” They point to what they view as inconsistent support from Democrats, accusing them of being “fair weather friends,” alongside concerning rhetoric on the right that they say has moved into the mainstream.
The statement specifically references U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, acknowledging her election in 2024 as a milestone for the community while expressing disappointment with her response to treatment from colleagues. It further points to her efforts to work with Republican lawmakers to oppose legislation that sought to criminalize gender-affirming care for trans youth, arguing those efforts were ultimately undercut by several Democrats who voted in favor of the measure.
“The response online in many ways is emblematic of the times,” the statement reads, “of liberals treating us as though they can fight the good fight while using us as scapegoats to make their political lives easier, while making millions of our own suffer as a blood sacrifice to their own careers.”
The group also singles out the Heritage Foundation, rejecting claims they say frame transgender advocacy as an act of “terror.” They call the characterization a “smear campaign” and warn such language could be used to justify further restrictions in the United States and influence similar policies abroad.
“We condemn the Heritage Foundation’s attempt to label all activism in favor of Transgender individuals an act of ‘terror’ against the United States,” the statement reads. “Rather we posit that the Heritage Foundation, since its founding in reaction to the Civil Rights Movement, itself is an organization seeking to perpetuate terror against others!”
The authors call on members of the trans community, as well as leaders like McBride, to “use their voices” in advocating for the community. Rather than focusing on electoral politics, they call for direct community action, including conversations with family and neighbors, local organizing, and mutual aid to support those currently in unsafe situations.
The message closes with a broader call for solidarity, urging individuals in the wider LGBTQ+ community and allies to take an active role in defending all members and resisting further restrictions everywhere.
“Let us all come together, queer folks, straight folks, committed to fighting with our voices, for the defense and continued acceptance of not just trans people, but of all queer people around the world!”
Trans activists are right to view Democrats as fair-weather friends. I hope they are waking up to this. The natural home for trans folks is the Libertarian Party, because Libertarians defend individual rights on principle, and don’t believe government should be classifying people and putting labels on them, but leave choices up to each individual in accordance with the Non-Aggression Principle – you have the right to live as you choose, so long as it does not involve initiating force or fraud against others.
>The biggest part of “trans-rights” is simply to be treated like a “Normal Person’ with the rights and responsibilities of same… The second is simply not to be denied access to appropriate gender affirming medical care – be it hormones, surgery or mental health care.
Then they should act normal instead of mentally ill.
They already have the same rights as everyone else.
And they have that medical access as well…as long as they pay for it and everyone else doesn’t.
Where’s my appropriate gender-affirming medical care? Oh, yeah, that’s just regular medical care.
The biggest part of “trans-rights” is simply to be treated like a “Normal Person’ with the rights and responsibilities of same… The second is simply not to be denied access to appropriate gender affirming medical care – be it hormones, surgery or mental health care.
It shouldn’t be the business of anyone government or not what equipment exists under the clothes of any individual unless possibly considering romantic engagement, and needing to know about compatibility…
What exactly are “trans rights?” They continually harp on them but never list them.
Excellent statement!