The Threat of Anti-Trans Surveillance

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Medical surveillance can be a matter of life and death. This is the reality that millions of Americans have wrestled with in recent days, following the overturning of Roe, but the danger goes far beyond abortion. Whether geofence warrants, social media monitoring, phone searches, or electronic medical record tracking, almost all the tactics that are increasingly targeted at pregnant people are also being trained at trans youth, and the consequences can be just as deadly.

As you may have heard, a growing number of states are trying to criminalize access to gender affirming medical care that can literally save trans children’s lives. Luckily, the courts have pushed back so far, but it’s unclear for how long. When Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tried to order family services to investigate gender affirming care as child abuse, a judge struck down the “gross invasions of privacy.”

But the victory may be short lived. Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and other states are all advancing measures targeting trans youth and their families. And sadly, once again surveillance is making the threat worse.

The same software that can help anti-abortion police track abortion agents like mifepristone can also be weaponized against puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The same location data that can track abortion clinic visits can also track out-of-state visits for gender affirming surgery. Amazing groups like PFLAG are already fighting to block these bigoted laws from becoming a reality. We should all lend them our support, as well as fight to dismantle the surveillance infrastructure that will enforce these nightmarish attacks on our bodily autonomy.

In solidarity,
Sarah Roth
Communications and Advocacy Intern

Forward

NewsletterWilliam OwenJuly 28, 2022