Propaganda

Trans-women are predators.

Reality

“Many of the arguments against trans people today are simply recycled homophobia from the ’80s and ’90s. We [were] being told that gay people were predators and lesbians were a threat in single-sex spaces. That wasn’t true of lesbians, bi and gay people then, and it isn’t true of trans people now.”

Source of quote: Pink News

Why is this propaganda?

The statement “trans-women are predators” is not supported by any evidence or statistical data, yet it is commonly repeated by some politicians.

This is a type of fear-mongering, used to appeal to voters who hold prejudiced views or fears about marginalized groups, in this case trans-women. By making claims about the supposed predatory nature of transgender women, these politicians seek to create fear and outrage around an issue that does not exist, and to position themselves as protectors of the public. (It is much easier to create and then fix an imaginary problem, than to fix a real one.)

That might earn them more votes, but it also creates an environment in which violence and discrimination against transgender individuals are more likely to occur. It also distracts from more pressing issues, such as healthcare and education, by manipulating public opinion through fear and misinformation.

When hearing serious claims against marginzalized groups (“immigrants steal our jobs”, “gay men infect children with AIDS”, etc.) always think critically: is there evidence supporting these claims? If not, who benefits if the public believes them?