Podcast Summary: Next Comes What
Episode: Ending Trans Panic
Host: Andrea Pitzer
Date: November 13, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Andrea Pitzer explores how the right in the United States—and around the world—has weaponized anti-trans panic as a political wedge. Drawing on historical antecedents, expert interviews, and recent electoral outcomes, Pitzer argues that not only is trans scapegoating a deliberate tool of strongman and reactionary politics, but that successful resistance comes not from retreat or compromise, but by steadfastly standing up for marginalized communities. The episode weaves together cultural history, electoral analysis, and stories of advocacy to reveal a path forward, resisting the politics of division and punishment.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Rise and Purpose of "Trans Panic" in Politics
- Contemporary Republican strategy:
- GOP ad campaigns spent millions demonizing transgender people—framing Democrats as out of touch and dangerous.
- Key Quote: “They suggested that Democrats supported perverts wanting to go into girls sports bathrooms and locker rooms.” (A, 00:03)
- Despite massive spending, this narrative failed to deliver expected electoral gains.
- Antiquity of the tactic:
- Drawing parallels to how abortion and gay rights became wedge issues.
- Historical context: The 'lavender scare' paralleled McCarthyism, targeting LGBTQ government workers (A & B, 01:20–02:55).
2. Historical Patterns of Moral Panic & Scapegoating
- The Lavender Scare and McCarthyism:
- B: “McCarthy's fan mail. 25% of it was about security threats, 75% of it was about sexual depravity...” (B, 02:55)
- Anti-queer panic served as a versatile tool for targeting perceived “others.”
- Puritan moral traditions:
- Deeply rooted attitudes about gender as justifications for control and political mobilization.
- A: “Gender can be used to trigger a firestorm because of the strange Puritan streak and particular kind of deep desire to control women…” (A, 04:01)
- Weaponization and international parallels:
- Examples from Russia, Hungary, UK, and the US demonstrate the global echo of anti-LGBTQ policies (A & B, 16:02–19:01).
3. Dog Whistle and Strategic Racism
- Dog Whistle Politics:
- Historian Ian Haney Lopez explains dog whistles manipulate voters through race or sexuality without overt bigotry (A & B, 05:55–06:36).
- B: “It’s cold. It’s calculating... to achieve one’s own ends here, winning votes by stirring racial animosity.” (B, 06:26)
- Perpetuation through propaganda:
- The religious right's influence since the 1970s has embedded homophobia in mainstream discourse; similar methods being used now against trans people (A & B, 07:01+).
4. Medical Realities & Emotional Costs for Trans People
- Clinical findings and support outcomes:
- Trans children realize their identity around age 8.5 but face a decade of silence; supportive parenting drastically reduces suicide risk (B, 11:06–12:01).
- B: “The suicide attempt rate was 4% when having supportive parents and as high as 60% when parents weren't supportive.” (B, 12:01)
- Policy rollback and personal impact:
- Iowa becomes first state to repeal trans protections; real consequences for vulnerable youth (A & B, 10:10–10:59).
- Attacks on gender-affirming care:
- Political targeting of medical policies in schools and sports, undoing years of consensus and evidence-based practice (A & B, 12:15–13:35).
5. Political Backlash and New Fronts in the Culture War
- Election outcomes deflate “trans panic”:
- Spanberger’s win in Virginia, despite being the focus of anti-trans ads, reveals limited effectiveness of wedge issues (A & B, 00:34, 21:50)
- A: “Only 4% of voters listed the issue of transgender students as their most important policy concern. Earl Sears lost by almost 15 points.” (A, 21:50)
- Progress in representation:
- Trans politicians like Sarah McBride (first trans member of Congress, Delaware) and Danica Roem (VA Senate) have found electoral success by foregrounding basic governance, not identity (A & B, 13:13–15:54).
- A: “They appear to have run on being basic bitch elected officials who want to do very bureaucratic jobs that I am happy not to do.” (A, 14:33)
6. Reframing: From Villains to Heroes
- Research on policy narratives:
- Michael Jones’ findings: Stories with heroes, not just villains, shift policy beliefs more effectively (A & B, 20:06–21:35).
- A: “The hero in each of the stories that I put out there... the more willing they are to accept policy prescriptions…” (A, 20:49)
- B: “And these superheroes are called trans people.” (B, 20:45)
- Importance of universal advocacy:
- Zoran Mamdani and others succeed politically by defending all constituents, not by hiding support for the marginalized (A & B, 23:13–25:35).
- A: “You need not even know a trans New Yorker to stand up for trans New Yorkers... This is a trial of all of us to see who we are willing to give up. And the answer is no one.” (A, 27:16)
7. Strategic Lessons for Advocacy and Resistance
- Rejecting wedge politics:
- Democrats win when they stand up for everyone, not when they mimic the divisionary tactics of the right (A, 27:16).
- The fight is not about “throwing anyone under the bus” but about inclusive advocacy (A, 26:05).
- The need for everyday heroes:
- Both ordinary citizens (student walkouts) and officials (Mamdani, McBride) are crucial, and heroes at all levels profoundly shift the narrative (A, 28:24).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “McCarthy's fan mail. 25% of it was about security threats, 75% of it was about sexual depravity…”
– Corey Robin (B, 02:55) - “It’s cold. It’s calculating... to achieve one’s own ends here, winning votes by stirring racial animosity.”
– Ian Haney Lopez (B, 06:26) - “The suicide attempt rate was 4% when having supportive parents and as high as 60% when parents weren't supportive.”
– Dr. Anthony Yoon (B, 12:01) - “The hero really matters... the more they believe everything in the story, the more willing they are to accept policy prescriptions…”
– Michael Jones (A, 20:49) - “You need not even know a trans New Yorker to stand up for trans New Yorkers... This is a trial of all of us to see who we are willing to give up. And the answer is no one.”
– Zoran Mamdani, paraphrased by Andrea Pitzer (A, 27:16) - “No executive action, no legislative action for that matter, can erase the reality of diversity across gender in our society.”
– Sarah McBride (B, 15:06) - “When pundits say that we have to throw trans people under the bus, they are saying that they don’t know how to win without doing that. It may be true that they don’t know how to do it, but other people do, and they’re showing us the way.”
– Andrea Pitzer (A, 26:05)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:03 – Republican anti-trans ad spending and narratives in election
- 01:20–02:55 – Corey Robin on the lavender scare and McCarthyism
- 05:55–06:36 – Ian Haney Lopez on dog whistle politics and strategic racism
- 10:10–10:59 – Trans protections removed in Iowa, national trend of anti-trans laws
- 11:06–12:01 – Dr. Yoon on support and mental health outcomes for trans youth
- 12:15–13:35 – Attacks on medical consensus, sports bans, IOC history
- 14:33 – Representation of trans people in politics (McBride, Roem)
- 20:06–21:35 – Michael Jones on effective policy narratives: heroes over villains
- 21:50 – Polling and election results refuting anti-trans wedge politics
- 23:13–25:35 – Zoran Mamdani’s advocacy and strategic reframing
- 27:16 – The ethical imperative: “no one gets left behind”
- 28:24 – Everyday heroism in resisting politics of punishment
Conclusion
Pitzer’s episode makes a compelling case that the surge in anti-trans panic is neither organic nor inevitable. It follows a century-old playbook of scapegoating vulnerable minorities for political gain. Yet, the examples highlighted—politicians who advocate for all, robust public rejection of wedge issues, and the importance of reframing narratives—show a path forward. The episode closes urging listeners not to succumb to politics that demand someone always be punished or excluded, but instead to champion the dignity and rights of everyone, especially the most marginalized.