Trans Is Not the New Gay

For the past decade, a growing narrative has insisted that the transgender movement is a natural continuation of the LGB rights movement. Activists and media alike often frame “LGBTQ+” as a single, unified struggle for human rights. But as someone who lived through the fight for gay and lesbian equality, I believe it’s time to challenge this claim.

Let’s start with a basic truth: LGB people—lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals—fought for the right to love and live openly without punishment. Our demands were rooted in equal treatment under the law, access to employment and housing, freedom from harassment, and recognition of same-sex relationships. We never asked to change the definition of men or women. We never demanded access to opposite-sex spaces. And we certainly didn’t claim that being gay entitled us to special privileges or extra protections.

The trans movement, by contrast, has increasingly demanded not equal treatment—but exceptional treatment. It insists that self-declared identity should override objective reality, that men who identify as women must be treated as women in all contexts—locker rooms, prisons, rape crisis centers, sports leagues—regardless of how it impacts others. And while it’s true that transgender people face real discrimination, the solutions proposed often prioritize individual affirmation over collective fairness.

This is where our paths diverge. LGB rights were about inclusion without intrusion. We asked to be part of society as we are, without altering the definitions of man, woman, marriage, or sports. We didn’t ask heterosexual people to deny their own boundaries or beliefs—we just asked them not to punish ours.

The trans movement, in its most vocal expressions, often pushes the opposite: a demand that others conform to its worldview. Women are told they must accept male-bodied individuals in changing rooms or shelters. Children are taught that their sex is “assigned” and might be “wrong.” And lesbians and gay men are increasingly pressured to include people of the opposite sex in their dating pools—an alarming regression under the guise of progress.

This is not equality. It’s entitlement cloaked in identity politics.

And perhaps most troubling of all is the way gender identity has been elevated beyond reason, to the point where a mental health diagnosis—gender dysphoria—can now grant someone more rights than others. We would never suggest that someone with anorexia should be affirmed in their distorted body image, or that a person with schizophrenia should have their delusions legally validated. Yet when it comes to gender dysphoria, affirmation is considered the only acceptable response—even when it leads to irreversible medical interventions, sterilization, and lifelong dependency on hormones.

Let’s be clear: having a mental disorder doesn’t entitle anyone to special privileges. It entitles them to compassion, support, and evidence-based care. And it certainly doesn’t justify policies that endanger women’s sports, erode gay rights, or confuse children about their bodies.

We can respect people’s differences without pretending that feelings override biology. We can seek solutions that allow gender-nonconforming individuals to live in dignity without forcing others to participate in a lie. And we can do all of this without sacrificing the hard-won rights of women and LGB people.

The gay rights movement was never about forcing others to bend to our will—it was about being left alone to live as ourselves. That’s what equality truly means.

Trans is not the new gay. And saying so isn’t hateful—it’s honest.