Ex-president Donald Trump told Wyoming that teachers should not ‘teach transgender’. Chet Strange/Getty Images)
Former US president Donald Trump – clearly with nothing better to do – has once again attacked trans people at a hate-filled rally.
During a 90-minute speech at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, Wyoming, Trump read from the usual Trump script: attacking critical race theory, the 6 January attack and his, er, his thinning hair.
Trump failed to completely pack the venue as he spoke in support of Republican congressional hopeful Harriet Hageman, who is vying to unseat representative Liz Cheney.
But turning his attention to trans rights – again – he told a crowd of “Trump 2024”-touting supporters on Saturday (28 May) that teachers should not be allowed to “teach transgender”.
“We will defend parents’ rights,” he said, throwing some more red meat for the MAGA crowd. “No teacher should ever be allowed to teach transgender to our children without parental consent. Can you imagine?
The crowd applauded for more than 10 seconds. This is despite how many might have heard this line before – Trump has spent much of his free time post-presidency rattling on about trans people and educators teaching “far-left gender theories”.
The bizarre remark, made at a time when dozens of state legislatures are aggressively rolling back trans rights for no real reason other than hate, drew raised eyebrows on Twitter.
What am I missing…
How do you teach transgender to a child?
Is he inferring that the acknowledgment of the existence of the transgender is a promotion of it?
It doesn’t matter as long as it scares people 😱— Chevron 🇺🇦🌈🌊#Resist #BLM (@lachevron) May 28, 2022
Transgender was my favorite class in high school.
— Heather Watson (@heatherbear99) May 28, 2022
How do you teach transgender
— Sandi Bachom (@sandibachom) May 29, 2022
I took AP Transgender my senior year and scored a 4 on the test so I didn’t have to take it again in college. https://t.co/A00qu5twIc
— nick (@thekerker) May 29, 2022
What he said here is truly awful. I’m glad he’s not our president anymore; his influence on American politics, particularly what he said here, is still having an impact on my community, and we’ll fight to ensure that his influence fades entirely away. https://t.co/QZQhIUOO16
— Ember NOT Amber!🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 I’m bi (she/they) (@Emberthecoolest) May 29, 2022
Wyoming is among dozens of states that have taken aim at trans rights in recent years. Senate File 51, a motion introduced by senators in February, would have banned trans athletes from competing in women’s sports.
State school officials flagged their support for Senate File 51, describing being trans as a “fast-spreading social phenomenon” and a “social contagion”. Anti-trans activists and even some journalists have long spread this idea – actual experts say there is no evidence to support it.
The bill, known as the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act”, soared through the Senate but failed to pass through the House of Representatives in March. Senate sponsors, however, have vowed to revive the bill.
Trump’s presidency was one of repeated potshots against trans Americans. From their healthcare to their right to serve in the military, Trump tore into trans people so much it caused “extreme mental distress” for LGBTQ+ people, researchers found.
“Does anybody want me to run again?” Trump asked onlookers on Saturday. The crowd exploded into cheers.
“This is the year that we’re going to take back the House, we’re going to take back the Senate, and we’re going to take back America.
“And in 2024, we’re going to take back our great and beautiful White House.”