Attacking the Rarest of Us
How rare is 1.7%? And why are we under attack?
Unicorns
I’ve shared before that the common estimate for the prevalence of intersex people is 1.7% of the population. That’s about as frequent as red hair in humans. I find that those numbers don’t jive with my reality, though. I know people with red hair. Some of my family have red hair. One of my best friends from my days at UMKC has red hair.
And yet, despite living on this planet and in this body for 44 years, I’ve never met another intersex person face-to-face.
Now, I’m sure I HAVE met another at some point, but either they didn’t know it or they didn’t tell me about it. Keep in mind that it wasn’t until my 30s that I heard the word intersex. Even later when I understood that hypospadias, the condition that affected me so much, was under the umbrella of intersex. And there are SO MANY intersex conditions and variations. Even River Gallo, one of our most famous activists, didn’t hear about the word “intersex” until they were writing their master’s thesis.
All this is to say that, given now many people I call friends and how many people I meet at conventions while selling books, the odds would say that I have definitely met another intersex person face-to-face. But they either weren’t out or it didn’t come. By all the gods, how I would love to chat with another intersex person about their journey.
Okay, so we’re rare. We’re practically unicorns. So then, why is the current regime running the US government attacking and trying to erase us?
Culture War
Ever since the Newt Gingrich era, the Republicans have made anger the foundation of their platform. Politics have always been more about emotions than facts, but Gingrich steered the party hard into emotion. When people are angry, they vote with their emotions. They vote based on fear and hate rather than logic. When people are angry, they don’t listen to facts and figures. They just want to be told that they’re right. They lean into their echo chambers and go to the polls.
Sadly, this strategy has paid off. Republican voters tune into Fox News so much that it’s the highest-rated news station. It’s also not news, but a propaganda machine for the GOP. Attacking transgender people, specifically, has been one of the focal points for the GOP in the last election cycle and for the current administration. The current president has already tipped his hand that attacking trans people will be a cornerstone of next year’s midterm elections.
Don’t bring that subject up, because there’s no election right now. But about a week before the election, bring it up, because you can’t lose.
He said this while talking to members of the press, saying that he’d told this to other Republicans. Along with attacking transgender people, he’s attacking and attempting to erase nonbinary and intersex people.
Why?
Because the GOP has effectively stirred up their base, making them angry about the very existence of transgender people and “gender ideology,” as they put it. The Republican party has spent years painting transgender (and by extension, nonbinary and intersex people) as pedophiles, peeping toms, and cheaters at sports. The GOP’s language is all about transgender people because their base doesn’t necessarily know about or understand nonbinary and intersex people. But believe me, we’re included in all the formal language the administration is using.
Intersex people are 1.7% of the population. While reports vary, approximately 1.6% of US adults identify as transgender or nonbinary. Transgender athletes are even more rare. But our existence makes the GOP’s base angry because they’ve been told to be angry. So the Republican party will keep beating this drum so long as they think it can get them votes.
The “Good Germans”
If you’re subscribed here, then I probably don’t need to tell you why you, yes you, need to stand up and speak out for transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. In case you’re new or confused, let me tell you about “Good Germans.”
This is an ironic term used to describe people who lived in Germany during the rise of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Not everyone who lived in German, but those who weren’t members of the Nazi party but did nothing to stop the rise of fascism. There are plenty of “Good Germans” in the United States right now, and they need to get off the bench and start fighting.
Modern “Good Germans” in America:
Voted for the current president because they wanted economic change, ignoring his authoritarian tendencies
Don’t like what the regime is doing, but aren’t doing anything about it
Think, “well, it doesn’t really affect me,” and so turn a blind eye to the people who are affected
You get the idea. This regime is already attacking more than transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people. Women are under attack. People of color are under attack. Immigrants (legal or otherwise) are under attack. People who disagree with the president are under attack. And if the president has his way, though who opposed him in the past will be under attack.
It’s only a matter of time before we’re all under attack. “Good Germans” just stood by, paid lip service, and didn’t realize their mistake until it was too late. Don’t let it be too late this time. This country is in peril. We’re under attack. So what are you waiting for?
Sources:
The Hill: New studies find millions of young nonbinary and transgender Americans
Them: Trump Hints That Attacking Trans Rights Will Be the GOP’s 2026 Midterm Strategy
Activism > Extremism