{"id":846179,"date":"2023-11-02T17:28:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T21:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?page_id=846179"},"modified":"2025-04-15T14:41:05","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T18:41:05","slug":"transgenderism-definition-meaning-and-origin-in-anti-lgbtq-hate","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/transgenderism-definition-meaning-anti-lgbt-online-hate\/","title":{"rendered":"Transgenderism: Definition, Meaning, and Origin in Anti-LGBTQ Hate"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Online Anti-LGBTQ Hate Terms Defined: \u201cTransgenderism\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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This entry is part of the <\/span>GLAAD Guide to Anti-LGBTQ Online Hate and Disinformation<\/b><\/a>,<\/b> an ongoing project to identify some of the most prevalent and egregious terms, tropes, and concepts that are used to harass, attack, and spread malicious misinformation about LGBTQ people on social media. <\/span>Learn more here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>

*CONTENT WARNING*<\/h3>

The example below includes a hateful term, phrases and imagery.<\/p>

“Transgenderism”<\/h3>
\"Screenshot,
Screenshot, Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The current usage of \u201ctransgenderism\u201d arises from anti-trans extremists who seek to delegitimize and dehumanize trans people by implying that being trans is an ideology rather than an identity. (See <\/span>here<\/span><\/a> for a longer history of the term\u2019s usage.)<\/span><\/p>

The ADL <\/span>notes<\/span><\/a>: \u201cBy using the term \u2018transgenderism\u2019 instead of \u2018trans people,\u2019 anti-trans activists call for online and offline marginalization of and\/or harm to transgender individuals under the guise of opposing an ideology.\u201d<\/span> In her March 2023 essay, \u201c<\/span>On the Right’s Call to “Eradicate Transgenderism” (It Means Exactly What You Think It Means)<\/span><\/a>\u201d Parker Molloy further explains: \u201cA reminder that words like \u2018transgenderism\u2019 and \u2018gender ideology\u2019 are almost exclusively used by anti-trans activists to obscure the fact that trans people are simply people who just happen to be trans. It’s not a belief system.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The term \u201ctransgenderism\u201d was notably weaponized in a vicious March 2023 speech by right-wing extremist Michael Knowles at CPAC, the <\/span>Conservative Political Action Conference, where Knowles <\/span>pronounced<\/span><\/a> that \u201cFor the good of society \u2026 transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely.\u201d Knowles posted <\/span>versions of the speech on YouTube<\/span><\/a>, as well as <\/span>variations of the same rhetoric<\/span><\/a> on his other social media accounts, while disingenuously <\/span>asserting that his genocidal call was not genocidal<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>

On social media, Knowles and other far-right media figures employ the term (along with other variations of the trope such as \u201c<\/span>gender ideology<\/span><\/a>\u201d) to disingenuously evade platforms\u2019 hate speech and harassment policies \u2014 which prohibit speech targeting <\/span>people<\/span><\/i> with hate on the basis of protected characteristics, such as gender identity, (while speech targeting <\/span>ideologies<\/span><\/i> is allowed). Anti-trans figures and groups continue to promote the term online and offline as a dog whistle expressing contempt and hatred of transgender people.<\/span> Explore more via <\/i>GLAAD\u2019s Guide to Anti-LGBTQ Online Hate and Disinformation<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Conclusion<\/h3><\/div>

This is just one example of anti-LGBTQ online hate and disinformation. Every term and concept should be evaluated in context. For instance, LGBTQ people and allies may use hashtags with hate terms as counterspeech, or slurs such as \u201ctranny\u201d or \u201cdyke\u201d may be used self-referentially to reclaim them. This guide will be updated on an ongoing basis. Please see the latest <\/span>GLAAD Social Media Safety Index<\/span><\/a> report for a deeper exploration of the current social media landscape for LGBTQ people, including GLAAD\u2019s recommendations and thought leadership in the field.<\/span><\/p>

How to Report Anti-LGBTQ Online Hate Speech and Harassment<\/h3>

Every major social media platform has policies which prohibit hate and harassment on the basis of protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender identity. To learn how to report potentially violative content, check out GLAAD\u2019s <\/span>LGBTQ Digital Safety Guide<\/span><\/a>, which includes basic tips on helping our community be more safe online.<\/span><\/p>

About the GLAAD Social Media Safety Program<\/h3>

As the leading national LGBTQ media advocacy organization, GLAAD is working every day to hold tech companies and social media platforms accountable and to secure safe online spaces for LGBTQ people.\u00a0The GLAAD\u00a0Social Media Safety Program<\/a>\u00a0produces the highly-respected annual\u00a0Social Media Safety Index (SMSI)<\/a>\u00a0and researches, monitors, and reports on a variety of issues facing LGBTQ social media users \u2014 with a focus on safety, privacy, and expression.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Links & Resources<\/strong><\/h3>