The escalation of hateful rhetoric over the “trans debate” in the Cananda, the United States and the UK is a painful reminder of why language and media representation matter. Despite the equality gains made in recent decades, 2SLGBTQ+ people still do not have equal rights, and politicians promote fear and hatred of trans and non-binary people by “debating” their existence and pushing legislation aimed at banning them from public spaces and public life.

A lot of this hatred is caused by lack of exposure to 2SLGBTQ+ people and ignorance about their experience, which is why learning about 2SLGBTQ+ experiences is so critical.

It’s also important to learn about the ways in which hatred of 2SLGBTQ+ people is promoted so that you can refute those arguments when you hear them.