Transpositive PDX: “Asylum for Trans People from the U.S.”
Join us on Transpositive, as we dive into one of the most urgent and unsettling conversations facing our community today — the growing number of transgender Americans who are considering or actively seeking asylum abroad. As the political climate in the U.S. becomes increasingly hostile toward trans people, many are asking a question once unimaginable: Is it still safe to live here?
Joining us for this roundtable are hosts Nichollet, Emma, and Sheila, who explore an article by Brynn Tannehill titled “The Case for Transgender Asylum from Trump’s America,” published in Dame Magazine. The article argues that recent policies and government actions toward transgender people mirror the early stages of historical genocides — the slow erosion of rights, access, and visibility that can lead to the destruction of a community. From bans on medical care and school participation to threats against employment, military service, and even passports, the piece lays out a chilling landscape that many fear may soon become life-threatening.
In this discussion, the hosts grapple with the article’s central claim: are transgender people in the United States facing the beginnings of genocide? Emma reflects on the difference between persecution and genocide, urging careful language even as she acknowledges the escalating danger. Nichollet and Sheila bring personal and historical perspectives, comparing the current moment to earlier eras of invisibility and repression — from Stonewall to modern legislative assaults on healthcare and education. Together, they consider what survival might look like today: strategic visibility, community solidarity, and the painful question of whether flight is the only option for safety.
The episode also touches on stories of resilience, like that of Dr. May Lauo, a physician forced out of Texas for providing gender-affirming care who has since relocated to Oregon. Her experience highlights both the dangers of the current political crackdown and the vital importance of states and nations that still protect the right to exist.
Join Transpositive for this powerful and sobering conversation about survival, resistance, and what it means to seek freedom in a country that is turning against its own people. Tune in as we ask: what happens when “home” itself becomes unsafe — and what can we do, together, to keep each other alive?
- KBOO