Experts in genocide prevention are warning that the United States is showing early signs of a genocide against trans and non-binary people. The Lemkin Institute, a global genocide prevention organization, says escalating political attacks on trans, non-binary, and intersex Americans could lead to a mass atrocity. Multiple genocide scholars, including two former presidents of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, say US policies could soon make life for trans people intolerable.
Former IAGS president Dr. Henry Theriault says political shifts to the right have enabled what he called a blatant hatred toward trans people. Theriault said, “I think we’re already at the point for trans folks, for immigrants, where the damage is being done…So it’s not so much ‘will genocide happen?’ as ‘we’ve got to stop it from happening.’” In 2025 alone, 616 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced across the US, most targeting trans people. Advocates warn this rhetoric and policy push is rapidly escalating — and could turn deadly if left unchecked.
