Inside the uneasy world of transgender conservatives

This story was originally published by Uncloseted Media — an LGBTQ focused investigative news outlet, in partnership with Gay Times Magazine.After spending the first 82 years of her life keeping her trans identity a secret, Sandra Kaye finally came out last year. But it wasn’t long before Kaye—a lifelong Republican who lives in Texas—found herself dealing with tension between her gender and her political views. A conversation with a left-leaning friend led Kaye to feel confused and unsure about her longstanding affiliation with the GOP.“[My friend] has always been a little bit left, and I’ve always been a little bit right. So she asked me a question one day: How can I be trans and a Republican?” Kaye told Uncloseted Media and GAY TIMES. “I was not prepared for that question.”Since this conversation, Kaye has moved further towards the center and now considers herself an independent. However, she is still proudly conservative, and voted in Texas’ Republican primary on March 3.Kaye is in the small minority of trans people who hold conservative views.According to a 2022 survey conducted by KFF and The Washington Post, 10% of trans U.S. adults identify as Republican. These numbers are likely continuing to dwindle as the Republican Party pushes transphobic rhetoric and policies. During the 2024 presidential election, Trump and the GOP spent more than $215 million on anti-trans ads. And as president, he has eliminated the federal recognition of transgender identities and introduced a counterterrorism strategy that vows to crack down on “radically pro-transgender” extremists.Still, some trans Americans stand by their conservative beliefs.“When you get right down to it, I don’t think the Republican Party itself is anti-trans. I think the anti-trans comes from Donny Boy,” says Kaye, referring to Trump.For these trans women, voting conservative makes senseKamryn Wilson, a 25-year-old trans woman in Iowa, also holds right-wing beliefs. She is a mem