Verniss McFarland, Max Mowitz, Shira Berkowitz and Soraya Sobreidad. Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/Max Mowitz/Soraya Sobreidad/Shira Berkowitz/Vernise McFarland

For Metal Hennessy, a 19-year-old transgender man living in Kansas, the defeat of Republican senator Roger Marshall brought to mind a familiar line from The Wizard of Oz: “Ding dong, the witch is dead.”

Throughout the US midterm elections, transgender Americans found themselves at the center of an expensive political campaign. In Kansas alone, Republicans reportedly spent $7 million on anti-transgender advertising, broadcasting approximately 7,000 ads as Marshall fought to retain his seat against Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist megachurch pastor.

For Hennessy, the attacks were hardly surprising. Kansas had already enacted legislation invalidating transgender residents’ driver’s licenses and requiring them to use bathrooms in government buildings according to their sex assigned at birth.

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For transgender Americans, however, the consequences of hostile political messaging extend far beyond election results.

Jane, a 20-year-old college student in Kansas, described an atmosphere of suspicion created by the relentless advertising.

Although Jane had not personally experienced direct harassment, the campaigns intensified the feeling of being constantly observed and silently judged.

“Because of those ads, it’s much harder for me to live my life,” Jane said.

Jane requested anonymity because of concerns about personal safety.

In Iowa, Max Mowitz, executive director of LGBTQ+ advocacy organization One Iowa, expressed frustration over the expectation that transgender voters should support Democratic candidates even when those candidates promote policies they consider harmful.

“It’s been very hard to constantly need to center the fact that trans people are humans,” Mowitz said.

Still, Mowitz insisted that maintaining hope remains essential, even when optimism feels difficult to justify.

Shira Berkowitz, senior director of public policy at Missouri LGBTQ+ advocacy organization PROMO, described feeling “sick to my stomach” over the anti-transgender attacks.

‘Sick to My Stomach’: Trans Americans Respond…