This is part two of a five-part series describing the TAnon phenomenon as it spreads in the United States. Parts include “What is ‘TAnon’?,” “Where it Came From,” “How the Hell We Got Here,” “Key Players and What to Watch For,” and “Strategies Moving Forward.” Each section has been separated due to length and will be accumulated into a full document for distribution at a later point.
It goes without saying that this series will be extremely upsetting to targeted marginalized groups (particularly trans + youth, women, Jews, and people of color), as well as survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sex trafficking, police brutality, and/or fascist/white nationalist violence. This piece in particular includes material referencing the assault and murder of Brandon Teena, in which he is deadnamed as well as having his identity and the nature of the transphobic hate crime against him erased in favor of psychological pathologization. There is also reference to the appearance of identified fascists at protests outside clinics providing care to trans youth, as well as brief coverage of the fascist-led, police-enforced Wi Spa protest on July 3rd. Hate material is cited extensively. Please read with care and take breaks as needed.
Author note 9.11.2021: The 7.3.2021 listing for Wi Spa has been updated to reflect new information about charges filed by the Los Angeles Police Department.
To understand TAnon, it’s necessary to trace the history of a number of key concepts and their origins, as well as the social context that they developed within. This section does so by creating a timeline that connects the threads between transphobic theories surrounding “body dissociation”, “follow[ing] the money” (which inevitably leads to Jewish funders), and detransition and how it connects to gender affirming care for youth and women’s rights. In doing so, the progression from theory-crafting to on-the-ground anti-trans actions becomes evident on a national and international level. The evolution of these theories and actions influence legislation, media coverage, and psychological and/or medical care.
For trans and trans-supportive readers who are still learning about detransition as a concept, it’s important to remember that anti-trans detransition narratives and talking points are a small, albeit highly influential, minority that does not represent everyone who could be or has been labeled as detransitioned. Prior to the formation of the anti-trans detransitioned women’s community in 2013, the term (particularly as a counter-argument against trans people’s right to self-identify) was practically unheard of. Many trans people and people exploring their identity have a history of detransition and view it as part of their overall path to understand themselves. The references that are included are meant to illustrate where certain talking points originated from and how the social conversation surrounding detransition has changed. This was primarily accomplished through the influence of key figures within the anti-trans detransitioned women’s community and the anti-trans feminist and parent groups they subsequently networked with. Readers should also be mindful that many such narratives include personal trauma that can have real, lasting impact for the individual. We can simultaneously hold empathy for the impact of that trauma and firm boundaries on how it is used in individual and collaborative political pursuits at the expense of trans people.
In addition, the concept of “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD) and social contagion is periodically referenced because of its profound influence in all three of the aforementioned spheres, though it is by no means comprehensive. For timelines and in-depth breakdowns of this particular concept, see the writings from Zinnia Jones, Julia Serano, and Florence Ashley in the Additional Resources section. There is also occasional reference to “institutional capture” and “trans lobby,” though these weren’t expanded on in detail due to length.
Through the course of this research, it became evident that there are three phases characterizing the proliferation of TAnon: formation, solidification, and escalation. In the formation phase, spanning from 2010 through 2015, the aforementioned concepts begin to emerge and are slowly coalesced into theory. In the solidification phase from 2016 through 2019, theories become more concrete, key publications are released, talking points become more steadily implanted into the media and political climate, and foundational organizing efforts begin. The escalation phase, from 2020 onwards, involves the rapid expansion of increasingly extreme conspiracies in social media and the press, progressive fascist creep connecting with the fusion with QAnon, and “grassroots” actions targeting legislation, trans-supportive businesses, and medical infrastructure.
Read More »The Mechanisms of TAnon: Where it Came From
