I keep getting asked what Southern conservative hostility is like for LGBTQ people, especially in light of the anti-trans bills that have passed. In my experience, there are three things that are central to this very specific brand of hatred... 1) Generally those expressing this bigotry do not understand it as hate. They don't see themselves as bigots. It is a crusade for righteousness, defined by the parameters of what they are taught in church every Sunday (which usually differs from what is in the Bible).

Alabama will vote today on a suicide bill aimed at denying affirming medical treatment to trans youth. It will likely pass. In support of the bill, the Republican proponents used testimony from a local plastic surgeon who has never provided health care to trans individuals. Those standing against the bill brought experts from Children's Hospital with years of experience seeing to the medical needs of the trans community.

In Alabama, the race for governor has taken a pivot towards an issue for which its importance might confuse most Alabamians: transgender existence. @TimJamesGov is leading the charge, making this his keynote issue, with others following behind. Recently, it occurred to me why... @TimJamesGov is unrelatable. He is a wealthy guy, from a family full of famous politicians whose family business is getting votes. You think Tim understands the everyday struggles of your average blue collar Alabamian? He's likely never seen a hard day's work in his life. So...

For those disheartened by the wave of anti-trans laws sweeping the nation, I wanted to offer a little ray of hope from the front lines. With all the headlines getting attention, it's easy to feel like the world has turned against us. But... The reality is somewhat different. First, these bills, while different in every state, are all being championed by the same, small group of bigots going state to state. So small, in fact, that they can't find state specific experts for these bills. They bring their own.

I want to say something. You know me on Twitter as a screenwriter or comic book writer. You probably know I'm #trans. I live openly. Proudly. What you might not know is that I run Alabama's only LGBTQ pro bono legal service, funded by @ejaf. 80% of my clients are trans. 1/ Every day, I meet new faces from the trans community. They come for name changes. Job issues. Housing. And sometimes, just to talk. I'm a public trans person, successful and accepted. Like I did starting out, we seek examples of lives that show us possibility of who we can be. 2/