GOP will observe “DeTrans Awareness Day” with multiple events Wednesday

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Republicans are continuing their deadly crusade against transgender Americans by holding multiple events on Wednesday, March 12th for “DeTrans Awareness Day,” The Handbasket has learned. 

DeTrans refers to detransitioning, meaning the reversal of steps one has taken in the process of gender transitioning, and it’s long been used as a weapon to keep trans people—especially trans youth—from receiving life-saving medical care. Naturally, Trump has chosen to elevate and celebrate the people who wield it. 

Linda McMahon’s Department of Education is reportedly observing the day by convening a round table of people who have detransitioned along with “experts”, a source tells me. In lieu of a press release publicizing it, I’m told the event will be covered exclusively by a reporter from right wing outlet The Federalist. Department sources say the location is unconfirmed, given an email reviewed by The Handbasket that went out Tuesday afternoon to department staffers letting them know all buildings will be closed Wednesday and that they should telework. I’ve also confirmed GOP Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas will be holding a separate press conference on Wednesday with anti-trans activists.

Crenshaw’s communications director confirmed he’d be holding a “Press Conference in observance of DeTrans Awareness Day” at 2pm Wednesday with Chloe Cole, an activist who de-transitioned and uses her platform to lobby against gender-affirming care, and Dr. Jared Ross, who appeared on an episode of alt right podcaster Jordan Peterson’s show titled “Trans Worship and Child Sacrifice: The New Paganism.” The event will be held at the Longworth House Office Building.

When asked if Crenshaw’s press conference was in conjunction with the Department of Education's events for DeTrans Day or separate from it, he replied: “separate.” The Department of Education has not yet responded to my request for comment.

Crenshaw has been a loud advocate against trans human rights. He recently co-sponsored a bill to block Medicaid from paying for gender transition medications and surgeries for trans youth, and defended Trump’s executive order seeking to ban people who’d undergone gender reassignment surgery from the military.

Concurrent to the government’s events, a DeTrans Awareness Day event will be held in DC, co-hosted by Moms for Liberty, The Center for Bioethics and Culture, Heritage Foundation, Independent Women’s Forum, Ethics & Public Policy Center, Genspect and others. The multi-panel event (that Genspect’s website claims on their website is sold out) is designed to answer bigots’ burning questions about trans people. 

Events include a medical panel moderated by Jay Richards, PhD, the Director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family. (Betsy’s in-laws). The panel will “discuss the current state of medical harm done to those who sought gender-affirming care and the right course of treatment for those with gender dysphoria.” There will also be a panel with people who detransitioned, moderated by anti-trans activist Dr. Patrick Hunter, as well as a panel on legal issues. And the event will be rounded out by a social media panel “addressing social contagion, cell phone use, and online grooming.”

The rate of regret among people who undergo gender reassignment surgery is remarkably low. Per a 2023 Associated Press report:

The administration’s celebration of DeTrans Awareness Day marks yet another battle in its war on trans Americans. From a bevy of anti-trans executive orders, to insidious remarks made in his recent joint address to Congress, Trump’s goal is, as The 19th wrote, “removing transgender and nonbinary people from public life wherever possible.”

Trans Day of Visibility will take place on March 31st, a day that will no doubt be ignored by this administration—but hopefully one recognized by trans allies who understand the imminent threat against them.