Trans journalist Erin Reed has published a list of Democratic midterm candidates with anti-trans records, and the question she is forcing is one the party would rather not answer: if trans voters keep rewarding Democrats who harm them, what signal does that send? The calculation is real, the stakes are high, and there is no clean answer.
Authoritarian personalities agress toward outgroups who violate traditional norms, including socially traditional gender roles. They become a scapegoat during times of capitalistic economic uncertainty.
We’re in part of the cycle where liberal democracy decays and fascism flourishes. A core tenet of fascist ideology is the championing of the in-group with religious fervor and nationalistic pride. This is seen as a populist way to “save the country,” when the real problem is capitalism and the exploitation of workers. This is why fascists demonize socialists, communists and even liberals.
Both the GOP (conservatives) and the far left (tankies) can reflect this personality type.