Transgender voters are more enthusiastic about the presidential race than ever since Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took over the Democratic ticket, praising the duo's record on LGBTQ+ rights.
Since President Biden’s decision to bow out of his reelection campaign, the number of transgender Americans who were enthusiastic about the 2024 race has more than tripled, per a survey conducted by LGBTQ+ health platform Folx Health.
The November election is an especially important one for trans voters, with 89% of surveyed trans-Americans predicting a major impact on nationwide access to gender-affirming care. Additionally, 1 in 5 respondents told Folx that they’d lost access to healthcare in the past year due to conservative-led anti-LGBTQ+ policy.
“I am fearful of another Trump presidency. I feel my life and the lives of others are at stake. I wonder daily if I need to prepare to flee or hide,” one respondent told Folx.
Trump, who has launched attacks on transgender care and described Walz as being “heavy into the transgender world,” rolled back trans rights in his first term and has promised further assaults in campaign stops.
But trans voters aren’t just fearful of another Trump term, they’re also embracing Harris and her running mate’s record on queer issues.
Trans journalist Erin Reed wrote in a post to X that Walz was “one of the most protective governors towards trans people, even protecting those coming from across state lines.”
“For LGBTQ+ people, Walz was possibly the best pick that could have been made in terms of track record. He had a narrow majority in Minnesota and still pushed forward with hard-hitting policy protecting LGBTQ+ people,” Reed wrote.
79% of participants in Folx’s study said they believed Harris would meet the needs and concerns of the transgender community, echoing the sentiments of transgender advocacy groups, many of whom lined up to endorse Harris.
“I have a lot of fear about what will happen to me, my partner, and our way of life if conservatives come to power broadly,” a survey participant told Folx. “I have to hope that Harris (who I presume will be the Democratic nominee) and that voters will defeat Trump.”
