Transphobia is versatile: it can be a social lubricant for the boys, a wedge issue for strategists, filler for opinion writers, and an engagement booster for has-beens.
What it’s not is a deeply held belief; it’s merely a vehicle for emotionally stunted individuals to satisfy their needs. Akin to child bullies, they turn to who already gets picked on.
As a (pre-)occupation
Social media has introduced another way to manifest transphobia: making it a pastime. There are cis people whose online presence are almost entirely devoted to attacking trans folk.
They are choosing to spend their free time this way; over reading a book or going for a walk or taking lessons or watching a favourite show. It’s sad but it reveals a deeper fault with them and how they relate with people.
This giant red flag involves much more than media-illiterate boomers on Facebook. Writers for the New York Times and Atlantic, high-profile conservative commentators, multiple billionaires, virtually every current self-appointed TERF/GC are doing this too – some monetizing their preoccupation.
I could name a few here and drop some statistics around the percentage of their posts fixated on trans people, but if you’re here then you already know.
Happy people don’t do this
What I do want to point out though is that people who are content with their life, maintain healthy relationships with the people around them, and are emotionally mature don’t do this.
When you’re happy in life, truly happy, it doesn’t even cross your mind to put other people down. You don’t need to attach to bad faith hypotheticals that send you spiraling; no, you spend time with loved ones and do the things that make you feel fulfilled.
This obsession with trans people isn’t about trans people at all, it’s the cry for help from miserable people, who will do anything up to and including genocide rather than see a therapist.
And that’s unfortunate for everyone involved.