The Human Rights Alliance is deeply disturbed—not only by the recent Supreme Court decision allowing states to exclude transgender girls and women from certain school athletic competitions—but by the language the White House chose to celebrate that decision.
The official headline reads:
“Supreme Court Bolsters President Trump’s Push to Eliminate Transgender Insanity.”
Let us pause there.
Not “support transgender youth.” Not “protect women.” Not even “clarify Title IX.”
Instead, the administration chose language that characterizes an entire class of human beings as insanity to be eliminated.
Words matter.
History has taught us, time and again, that governments rarely begin campaigns of discrimination with violence. They begin with language. They begin by defining a minority as a problem to be solved rather than neighbors to be loved. They begin by stripping away dignity before stripping away rights.
Transgender people are not an ideology.
They are not a political slogan.
They are not a public relations problem.
They are our family members, our coworkers, our classmates, our veterans, our neighbors, and our friends.
Regardless of where one stands on the complex and evolving conversation surrounding athletics, no government should describe transgender Americans in language that suggests their very existence is something to be eliminated.
That should alarm every American.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is limited to questions surrounding participation in school sports. It is not a declaration that transgender people cease to exist or lose their humanity. Yet the administration’s rhetoric goes far beyond the legal holding of the Court and reflects an escalating campaign to erase transgender people from public life.
The Human Rights Alliance rejects that framing completely.
Our transgender community deserves safety. They deserve healthcare. They deserve equal opportunity. They deserve dignity. And they deserve to live free from language that paints them as something less than fully human.
New Mexico has long chosen a different path—one grounded in inclusion, respect, and the belief that diversity strengthens our communities. That commitment matters now more than ever.
This moment calls on all of us to remain engaged.
Support local LGBTQIA2S organizations.
Attend school board and legislative meetings.
Challenge misinformation when you encounter it.
Reach out to transgender friends and family members who may be hurting today.
Vote for leaders who defend equal protection under the law.
Most importantly, refuse to allow hateful rhetoric to become normal.
The Human Rights Alliance stands with our transgender siblings today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes.
Human dignity is not insanity.
It is the foundation of every just society.
Human Rights Alliance
Advancing equality. Defending dignity. Building belonging.
M. A. D’Arrigo
HRA Board President