The Urgent Need for Cis Allies to Protect Trans Rights

It’s not news anymore. At least, not the kind that makes primetime headlines. The violence, the exploitation, the systemic disregard for trans lives happens daily, quietly, brutally. I would have said invisibly, but it’s not really “invisible” if we’re choosing to ignore it, right?

We hear about arrests and outrage when celebrities are insulted, or sentiments of a majority are hurt. But where is that same urgency when a trans woman reports being assaulted? Where is the same public outcry when trans individuals—already pushed to the margins—are exploited by the powerful?

It’s uncomfortable to admit, but it’s true. Our society moves faster to protect reputations than to protect lives. And trans lives, among several other marginalized ones, are routinely treated as an afterthought.

As a cis person, and as a mere human, I can’t stress on this enough. It is not the job of trans individuals to fight their battle alone (especially considering that this “battle” is just them trying to live their life). It is ours, as cis people, to listen, to learn, and to step up.

It is our job to understand that the violence trans people face isn't random. It's a product of systemic exclusion. When people are denied safe jobs, housing, healthcare, or even something as basic as public restroom access, they are left vulnerable to exploitation and harm.

And when allegations of violence against trans individuals are met with silence, or shrugged off with apathy, it tells us something uncomfortable about what we value and what we don't.

If you, like me, were raised in a world that made trans lives invisible or disposable, it is not your fault. But it is your responsibility now to unlearn that harm, to stop normalizing it.

It’s not about guilt. It’s about compassion in action.

It’s about listening to trans voices even when it's uncomfortable.

It's about believing people when they speak about their experiences, even if it challenges what you think you know.

It's about using whatever spaces and privileges we have to advocate for safety, dignity, and justice. Not just when it’s easy, but especially when it's needed.

Because no one should have to fight for their humanity to be recognized.

And because true allyship means keeping our eyes open, even when the world would prefer we keep them shut, or look the other away.

We owe it to each other to build a world where dignity isn't conditional, where justice isn't selective, and where survival isn't treated like a miracle, but a right.