Democrats won big. Now trans Americans are demanding more than promises​

Tuesday was the people’s victory. It was a victory for communities of color across the South and Midwest who have been organizing with their neighbors for decades. This election offers a clear roadmap for how we build lasting, multiracial, working-class power. I know right now there is an expectant energy of turning political tides. But what I’m sitting with, alongside many others in the trans community, is what comes next.Many trans people feel like we’ve been left on the sidelines this election. Several candidates who won on Tuesday backtracked on their support for trans people. First, let me be clear. Trans people are not pieces in a game to be picked up or thrown aside when it’s politically convenient. And we saw candidates win who stood true to their values — who never backtracked on their support for trans people being able to live as our full, authentic selves.What comes next is holding our elected officials to account. It’s not enough for our representatives to simply affirm the dignity and worth of trans people. We demand more than the floor. We demand that our electeds, the people who we have put into positions of governing power, advance a pro-Black, pro-trans, pro-immigrant agenda.That means focusing on affordability so that one job is enough to stay above water and no one has to choose between health care and food on the table. We have to push our officials on proactive policies that will keep our neighbors safe from ICE and reject the constant and intrusive surveillance of our communities. And of course, we have to hold our representatives accountable to our trans siblings, so that every trans kid can play sports they love, access the care we need, and find safety and belonging wherever we call home.I also know that candidate races are only part of the story. Five states this election put forward efforts to ban trans youth in sports and interrupt or outlaw our health care. I’m celebrating the win in Missouri, where, in a resounding victor