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In 2022, a Lawsuit.org analysis exposed a jaw-dropping paradox: the more conservative a metro area, the more it searched for terms like “shemale,” “femboy,” and “tranny,” reaching over 4.7 million Google searches per month. Regions loudly denouncing transgender people in culture wars were often the same ones quietly indulging in trans porn.
Fast forward to June 2025, and that hypocrisy is being weaponized, not just laughed at.
Meet IODA: The Legal Beast Emerging
On May 8, 2025, Sen. Mike Lee (R‑UT) and Rep. Mary Miller (R‑IL) reintroduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), legislation that rewrites the federal obscenity standard from a flexible “Miller test” into a rigid, objective criminal code.
From what passes as art, literature, or even educational material, transgender expression could legally be defined as obscene if it “appeals to the prurient interest” or depicts “actual or simulated sexual acts” without serious value.
This isn’t a slippery slope; it’s an escalator aimed straight at trans identities, putting books, theatrical performances, and online content at risk.
Miller Out, National Standard In
Under current obscenity law (Miller v. California, 1973), three tests must be met:
- Does the average person find it “prurient”?
- Is it “patently offensive” per local community standards?
- Does it lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value?
IODA cuts out community standards in every state and region. The removal of national value could lead to widespread criminalization. Advocates say IODA simplifies enforcement, but critics warn it hauls in innocent content, like Game of Thrones or educational transgender narratives, into obscenity prosecutions.
Project 2025 Propaganda Meets Policy
IODA mirrors the far-right agenda in the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 manifesto, which labels “transgender ideology” itself as pornographic and criminal, urging extreme censorship measures, including identifying librarians and educators as potential sex offenders.
In the minds behind IODA, it’s not about protecting kids; it’s about erasing trans existence under legal cover.
From Federal Wall to State Siege
These virulent legal trends aren’t federal alone. Since early 2025, over 379 anti-trans bills have circulated in state legislatures, targeting everything from gender-affirming care and sports participation to restroom access and trans-inclusive education.
This year, Florida, Idaho, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa have passed or actively debated bills stripping trans identity from public life. Policies, overt as bathroom restrictions in Nebraska and trans athlete bans in Idaho and Oklahoma, are sweeping the campaign.
The Porn Panic Projection
All this echoes back to that 2022 data on conservative metrosexual behavior: If you’re so disgusted by trans people, why is that what you’re secretly craving?
This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the “forbidden fruit” effect, characterized by an outward revulsion and a hidden compulsion. Now, as lawmakers draft laws rooted in that shame, the joke’s on us and could be our undoing.
Why “After Dark” for the Trans Audience
- Legal erasure under cultural guise. IODA reframes “trans” as federal-level obscenity.
- Art & education in crosshairs. Anything from children’s books with trans characters to museum exhibits could be targeted.
- Censorship as a weapon. Not one-off laws, but a strategy: prioritize shame-driven bills, then criminalize existence.
Look at the Bigger Picture
- Federal level, Trump’s 2025 executive orders stripped nonbinary recognition, military service, and gender-affirming care.
- Judicial uncertainty: IODA has dodged hearings and lacks cosponsors. But its introduction marks a broader agenda.
- Public concern is rising, and news outlets warn that IODA’s “national standard” threatens even mainstream media, entertainment, and tech .
Hypocrisy Is Not the Crisis, Erasure Is
The irony of moral crusaders also being the biggest browsers of trans porn isn’t just meme fuel. It’s ideological projection: shame hidden behind laws, hiding the object of shame behind criminalization.
We once laughed. Now, it’s grim: this hypocrisy is morphing into legal pink slime aimed at screening out trans lives.
Your Move
- Call your senators: Voice opposition to IODA’s national obscenity framework.
- Support trans-led media and art: Stand against erasure.
- Hold lawmakers accountable: Ask how they sleep while criminalizing identity.
This isn’t bedtime reading. It’s your battle cry: shadows lit, stakes high, and visibility under siege. Our existence doesn’t belong in court—on screens or separate statutes. It belongs in the light.
