When I launched TransVitae more than two years ago, I imagined a platform where we could focus on the joys and challenges of transition: hormones, surgeries, fashion, fitness, mental health, love, and self-expression. I thought I’d be writing guides on everything from safe workouts on estrogen to how to navigate your first Pride as your authentic self.
Instead, here I am in 2025, tired. Tired of being tired. Tired that so much of my work has become reporting on politics, because nearly every day brings another headline about our existence being debated, restricted, or ridiculed. Tired that our small community has become a favorite political weapon in both the U.S. and U.K. Tired that this has become the defining fight of our time, when so many of us just want to live ordinary lives.
And yet, here we are, still fighting.
The Exhaustion of 2025
It’s not even been a year since Donald Trump won re-election, with transgender issues cynically wielded as part of his campaign strategy. Despite the fact that transgender people make up a tiny fraction of the population, we’ve been inflated into a centerpiece of national debate. Somehow, whether we can use a bathroom, access healthcare, or play sports has become more important to certain politicians than infrastructure, wages, or healthcare for everyone.
Even worse, we aren’t even in the thick of the midterm cycle yet. That storm is still months away. And already, the political machine is spinning us into red meat for voters, an easy scapegoat to rile up a base.
It’s not just America. Across the Atlantic, U.K. politicians and tabloids still treat trans people as clickbait, using us to inflame “culture wars” that drown out meaningful debate on housing, healthcare, or economic struggles. When politicians need a distraction, they point at us. When media needs outrage clicks, they drag out yet another “debate” about our humanity.
Living under this endless cycle of political weaponization wears a person down.
What I Thought This Site Would Be
When I pressed “launch” on TransVitae, I thought I’d be running an online magazine for our community to explore transition-related content, not running a war desk covering anti-trans legislation and hate.
I wanted to write about things like:
- How to accessorize in a way that affirms your gender.
- What it feels like to finally hear your true voice.
- Stories of joy, resilience, and discovery.
Instead, most weeks I find myself publishing:
- Reports on new healthcare bans for minors.
- Updates on court cases threatening our rights.
- Stories of violence against trans women of color.
It’s not that this coverage isn’t necessary. It’s crucial. But it is draining, because it’s relentless. Our lives shouldn’t have to be headlines every day just to remind the world we’re human.
Why They Won’t Stop
Let’s be clear: trans people are not at the center of politics because we are a pressing problem. We’re here because we are convenient.
We’re small in number, which makes us easy to scapegoat.
We’re misunderstood by much of the public, which makes lies about us stick.
We’re marginalized, which means politicians can score points without fear of losing major voter blocs.
The truth is, they won’t stop until one of two things happens:
- They go so far that the general public recoils and stops listening.
- We, as a community and with allies, push back so hard that the strategy no longer works.
Until then, the cycle will continue.
The Toll on Our Mental Health
For many trans people, this constant barrage feels like death by a thousand cuts. You open a news app and see a new ban. You scroll social media and see another attack. You turn on the TV and watch people debate whether you exist.
It’s exhausting in ways that aren’t always visible. The mental energy it takes just to exist in this climate, while also managing transition, relationships, jobs, and school, is enormous. It chips away at your sense of safety and belonging.
And sometimes, it robs you of joy. Instead of celebrating milestones, you’re pulled back into fear, defense, and survival mode.
Why We Keep Going
Despite it all, we keep going. And maybe that’s what frustrates our opponents most: that we’re still here, still laughing, still transitioning, still building families, still thriving in ways they swore we never could.
When I look at my readers, my community, and my chosen family, I see people who embody resilience. We wake up tired, but we still show up, for each other, for ourselves, and for those who haven’t yet found their voices.
That’s why, even when I’m tired of being tired, I keep publishing. Because I know every story I write might reach someone who feels alone.
The Role of Allies
If you’re cisgender and reading this, I want you to understand: your voice matters. Every time you push back against dehumanizing rhetoric, every time you speak up in your community, you make it harder for politicians to use us as pawns.
Being an ally isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about consistency. It’s about making it clear, in everyday conversations, that you won’t buy into the weaponization of trans lives. That you won’t be distracted from real issues by scapegoating.
Strapping Up for the Fight Ahead
As much as I want to just write about earrings, hormones, or fitness, I know I can’t stop covering the political fight. The attacks aren’t slowing down, and the midterms will make it worse. So I’m strapping up, because the truth is, they won’t let this go until they’re forced to.
But I don’t want to just fight back. I want to build. I want TransVitae to remain a space where, yes, we cover the battles, but also where we remember why we fight. We fight because we want joy. We want love. We want to live without fear.
The Bottom Line
I am tired of being tired. But I am also unwilling to give up. Because every time I see another piece of legislation, another cruel headline, another attempt to erase us, I think of the young trans kid opening their phone and wondering if anyone cares.
We care. I care. And as exhausting as it is, I’ll keep writing, keep fighting, and keep building. Because one day, I hope TransVitae won’t have to cover politics so much. One day, maybe, our biggest headlines will be about community, creativity, and celebration.
Until then, we keep going. Even when we’re tired. Especially when we’re tired.
