Episode 1: Class Warfare

In this episode of "Transgenders At War," host Athena Hope, a black transgender woman serving in the U.S. Military, discusses the ongoing class war in America and shares stories from transgender individuals. Athena highlights the misconception that resources are scarce, arguing that the top 1% hoards wealth while promoting divisive narratives. She emphasizes the importance of unity among the working class to combat elite exploitation.

The episode features posts from trans women and men, discussing issues like the Trump administration's censorship of LGBT-related research and the challenges trans individuals face in prisons and public spaces. Athena celebrates a legal victory preventing trans women from being housed in men's prisons and calls for continued solidarity against oppressive policies. She also shares personal experiences and encourages allies to support the trans community.

Credit/Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-statistics-2024/#how-many-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck

https://www.equilar.com/reports/110-equilar-associated-press-ceo-pay-study-2024.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/12/06/top-1-american-earners-more-wealth-middle-class/71769832007/

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/042215/what-difference-between-capitalist-system-and-free-market-system.asp

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/illegal-immigrants-us-jobs-economy-farm-workers-taxes/

https://www.zmescience.com/science/trump-is-ordering-a-sweeping-censorship-of-science-starting-with-climate-and-health/

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/02/women-win-court-ruling-blocking-trumps-order-to-house-trans-women-in-mens-prisons/

https://www.pushblack.us/news/how-v-coding-demonstrates-violence-rape-and-prison-culture

https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1087&context=ijlse

Donate to Luigi Mangione's Legal Fund https://www.givesendgo.com/legalfund-ceo-shooting-suspect

Important Creators:

Bella Vandella https://www.instagram.com/bella_vandala?igsh=ODV1M2sybjczcWJz

pissedmagistus
https://www.instagram.com/pissedmagistus?igsh=MWx4ZjNna2hkcGthNg==

Chapters

• 0:15 Intro
• 1:22 Class Warfare
• 6:29 Transwoman Post 1
• 7:29 Transwoman Post 1 Comments
• 8:18 Transwoman Post 1 Athena's Take
• 8:53 Transwoman Post 2
• 9:49 Transwoman Post 2 Comments
• 10:33 Transwoman Post 2 Athena's Take
• 11:21 Transman Post 1
• 12:32 Transman Post 1 Comments
• 13:23 Transman Post 1 Athena's Take
• 14:20 Transman Post 2
• 15:46 Transman Post 2 Comments
• 16:15 Transman Post 2 Athena's Take
• 16:59 Outro

Transcript

Athena Hope: 0:15

Hello everyone and welcome to the Transgenders at War podcast, the show that's focused on transgender people, politics and how transgender people are affected by it. I'm your host, athena Hope. I am a black transgender woman currently serving in the US military. I've been serving for around five years and, despite wanting to stay in, I've been notified that I can no longer serve just because I'm a little bit different. This podcast is more than just a source of news about transgender people. It's a platform that amplifies diverse voices and ensures that everyone, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, is heard, whether you identify as transgender, lgbtqia+ or an ally. We warmly invite you to listen. In today's episode, we will discuss the surface of the current class war in America and hear some voices from a few transgender individuals. Let's get started.

Athena Hope: 1:22

There's a big misconception in politics. The elites want you to believe that we live in a world where we are unable to take care of everyone. They want you to think we don't have the resources to provide every American with food, clothes, shelter and education. They try to tell you that we aren't able to because it will be bad for the economy. It's time to expose the lie. Constantly pushed by the top 1% elitists. They want you to believe that we don't have the resources to provide every American with basic human necessities. The truth is, we do have the resources, but the top 1% is hoarding them. Our current system is designed to benefit the few at the expense of the many, constantly pushing this myth of scarcity so they're able to maintain their power and wealth. What is the point of the economy if we cannot create a healthy environment for human beings to prosper? The only reason we need to act selfishly is because the elites want us to believe that the actual reality is not that they're hoarding all the wealth. They want you to feel all the missing wealth and problems in America are because of minorities and their chosen scrape goat targets, such as immigrants and transgender people. They do not want you to believe that it's the bottom 99% working class versus the top 1% elites. They want us to focus instead on which bathroom that transgender people use. They want you to believe that Maria, who came to America for a better life, is taking your wealth away. The elites claim we are unable to provide everyone with basic human rights. I'm here to tell you that that's a lie. The top 1% elites own more wealth than the entirety of America's whole middle class.

Athena Hope: 3:14

Our current free market system based on minimum government intervention just doesn't work without exploitation. It's a system that historically and currently relies on forms of slavery. First it was the slavery of black people. Then, after black people became legal, it is now the slavery of migrants and poor people in other countries, who are forced to work for us at the lowest wages. There is a form of capitalism that can provide for all, not just Americans. However, we need more government intervention and worker rights to achieve this. The time to act is now. We must prevent the exploitation of the working class by elites such as Jeff Bezos. Every 13 minutes, jeff Bezos earns what the typical person earns in a lifetime. This current system, by design, just doesn't work for the majority, but there is hope we can create a system that works for everyone with the right policies and rights for workers.

Athena Hope: 4:14

The mass majority of illegal immigrants are employed as farmers. They do slave work for slave wages, since the elites can get away with it. People believe non-citizens don't deserve basic human rights. Mass deportations chip away at a large part of our necessary workforce that takes care of our infrastructure and farmland. Mass deportations are not only wrong morally, but they're wrong logically as well. Without our precious immigrants, we would have no workers available to tend to our farms. The goal of the elites is to cut aid such as welfare and government assistance in order to create a new class of American slaves who are forced to do slave work for slave pay. It doesn't matter the color of your skin or how you identify. If you are not born into the top 1%, they will only continue to own you and keep you as slaves.

Athena Hope: 5:07

More and more, the middle class is shrinking. The percentage of American adults living in middle-income households has decreased from 61% in 1971 to around 50% today. Around 80% of Americans today live paycheck to paycheck. The middle class is making less and less money, while the greedy elites are only making more by getting away with creating inflation and lowering wages. The top 1% currently holds around $40 trillion in wealth. That's more than the entirety of America's middle class Income. Inequality is only growing, with the elites exploiting the lower class to get richer. But we must not be divided by their attempts to make us think other poor people are the enemy. Our strength lies in unity against the true enemy, the elites. Only by standing together in solidarity can we overcome their exploitation and injustice. Together, in solidarity, can we overcome their exploitation and injustice. In future episodes, we will continue investigating the class war the elites want you to ignore.

Athena Hope: 6:15

I want to continue our episode with a few stories posted on online forums in the past week of real transgender man and woman. We will start with transgender women, as we know, ladies first. We will start with transgender women, as we know, ladies first. Our first post is titled Donald Trump and Elon Musk have ordered all LGBT-related peer-reviewed scientific publications to be retracted. The post reads the electronic equivalent of Nazi book burning is here. The post reads completely from American sources and the scientific literature if they receive federal funds. Also, any research supporting gender affirming care and reproductive health, such as birth control, and any medical publication about abortion, will be retracted and cannot be used in defense of medical care. Science will not exist in America. Trump is evil, so keep copies of any gender affirming care publications. American sources are to be scrubbed from.

Athena Hope: 7:29

Okay, let's take a look at what the comments have to say. The first comment reads oh look, nazi shit. The comment has a reply. I absolutely love when the people say Not everyone that disagrees with you is a Nazi, and I'm like Yo. You do Nazi shit, you get called a Nazi. The next comment reads Well, at least we have the archives in various places like Library, genesis, anna's Archive and Archiveorg. This is going to be a rough four years. The last comment reads this will impact the whole world, as much of those studies represent the main literature within these subjects. A third world country like mine will use this as proof to attack LGBT rights and reproductive rights. The whole literature is dominantly from the US and Europe.

Athena Hope: 8:18

Now, this is my take on the matter. In the 1930s, nazi Germany initiated book burnings to suppress ideas. They were opposed, which led to a more bigoted and ignorant society. Today, we are witnessing similar attempts to suppress education and science. The mainstream media, controlled by the elites, will never talk about this, but we cannot afford to allow them to strip our rights and identity away slowly. These actions are only to appease the Christian nationalists, who oppose anyone who isn't a straight white Christian male.

Athena Hope: 8:53

Okay, let's take a look at the next post by trans woman. This post just links to an article. I will summarize it now. The title is Women Win Court Ruling Blocking Trump's Order to House. Trans Women in Men's Prisons. The post reads A district judge blocked President Donald Trump's executive order to house transgender female inmates in male prisons, citing Eighth Amendment violations. The ruling by Judge Royce Lamberth applies nationwide and is the second recent legal victory for trans inmates. The judge agreed that trans women would face significant harm, including increased violence and intensified gender dysphoria, if housed with male inmates. The Bureau of Prisons' arguments were dismissed as the judge found the inmates' concerns legitimate. Under Trump's order, the ruling temporarily halts the order's provisions affecting trans inmates until further legal proceedings.

Athena Hope: 9:49

Okay, let's take a look at what the comments have to say. The first comment reads Okay, let's take a look at what the comments have to say. The first comment reads this is some really good news. I also can't help but feel it's highly symbolic. With the trans-feminine experience and the prison of the flesh a lot of these policies are trying to trap us in. Sometimes, the smallest wins still fill the biggest. The next comment reads this is a massive win. Sending trans women to a male prison is an execution. They know this. That's why they want it. Hopefully we get more good news this month. The final comment reads oh my God. This seriously just made me cry. Thank you, judge.

Athena Hope: 10:25

The end of birthright citizenship has been denied. The throwing trans girls in man's prisons order also denied. This was big. This is my take on the matter. I'm very happy about this small win for transgender people. This is a reminder that the president is not a god. The Nazis have not taken over yet. They want you to believe that is already the case, but each of us hold a great power to create change. Big thanks to the judges in this country who are fighting for what is right. We will never give up. It is very common for incarcerated trans women to be held in prison cells with aggressive men, for both the reward for them and as a means to pacify them. This process is known as V-coding and has been described as so common that it is effectively a central part of a trans woman's sentence. There are currently over 2,200 trans women today forced to face sexual abuse and discrimination in prisons meant for men.

Athena Hope: 11:21

Okay, these next few posts are from trans men. Post one is titled why Everyone Must Use the Bathroom According to the Gender. They Are Assigned at Birth Wouldn't Work, the post reads, so many transgender men pass entirely and even have facial hair. Plus, there are a few who have gotten surgery. If we were to use the bathroom assigned at birth, women could walk into the bathroom and see what appears to be a full grown man in the bathroom with facial hair, no chest and man's clothes, they would most likely run out of the bathroom yelling there's a man in the woman's bathroom, sound familiar.

Athena Hope: 11:56

And then if a guy tries to say I'm trans, the woman is going to respond with well, how do we know that? And that's just a thing. There is no way for people to determine, solely based on outward appearance, whether a person is trans or not. So how are they going to check For the transgender people who aren't out? This just means to exploit them With no respectful way to determine whether someone is trans or not. In this scenario, it also raises the risk of creepy cisgender men claiming to be trans men going into the women's bathroom and saying I'm trans. People will have to believe them. How hasn't Donald Trump figured this out?

Athena Hope: 12:33

Ok, let's take a look at the comments. The first comment reads we don't actually exist. You know, in all these discussions, trans guys simply do not feature in the equation. Nobody is going to try and find a respectful way to determine if you're transgender or not. If you pass as a guy, you'll probably face outrage, violence and eventually arrest if you try using the bathroom of your assigned gender at birth. The next comment reads None of this makes sense, is reasonable or keeps anyone safe. That's not the point. The cruelty is the point. The final comment reads it was never the intention that we actually use the bathroom according to our assigned gender at birth. The far right knows damn well trans women would feel unsafe in the mans and therefore not use it, and that passing trans men would make women feel uncomfortable and possibly get attacked by security. Okay, this is my take on the matter.

Athena Hope: 13:26

This post and commentators are spot on Most of the time. These policies focus on the matter. This post and commentators are spot on Most of the time. These policies focus on transgender women. They never consider that trans men exist. The policy of using the bathroom by gender assigned at birth is illogical. Someone assigned a female at birth can transition into a man. Policies would force transgender men to use the female restroom and the original problem of man in the woman's bathroom would not be solved. The only logical way to solve this issue is to separate bathrooms based on your gender identity. Trans women are women and trans men are men. No amount of policies or laws will ever change that. Even if you were to check the genitalia of every single person manually, they can still have the genitalia that matches their gender identity. The only thing that separates trans people from their gender identity is hatred, not how they look or what body parts they have.

Athena Hope: 14:17

The next post by trans man is titled the only two people to check up on me have been cisgender straight men. The post reads said that's fucked up, man, I hope you are okay. The next day at work I washed my Tupperware in the sink. After lunch my friend, another cisgender guy came up behind me and asked if I was okay. I laughed and jokingly said do I look like I'm not okay? He said no, I mean because of all the Trump stuff. I was surprised but told him I was okay. He said something along the lines of I know some people don't see you as a human being, but I still think you're a human being. It was a little clumsy and very sweet.

Athena Hope: 15:16

I don't need or expect all my friends to check in on me and ensure that I'm okay. I've had conversations with my closest friends about how awful this shit has been and none of us are feeling great about it. I just found it interesting that the two people who did explicitly check in on me and try to comfort me were cisgender straight allies. These are two guys who know I'm trans, I guess, but it's not even something we ever talk about, so I didn't really expect them to mention it. I'm grateful for that support.

Athena Hope: 15:46

Okay, let's take a look at the comments. The first comment reads this warmed my heart, especially the second one what a wholesome human Posts like this are giving me life in the midst of everything. The next comment reads these are the actual cis allies, the ones that keep track of what's going on in the world and actually worry about their trans friends and acquaintances. Sad that it's rare to have such support. The final comment reads you've had people check in on you. Okay, this is my take on it as an ally or cisgender individual. Your support right now is crucial. Please reach out to your trans friends.

Athena Hope: 16:24

We're facing a challenging time and many of us, including myself, have been deeply affected. I had hoped to dedicate 20 years of my life to the military, but now I'm being forced to leave and change plans simply because I'm a little bit different. It's true that many in this world may not understand or care about us, and at times it can feel like we're fighting a lonely battle, but remember, we're all in this together. Let's continue to show love and understanding to those around us, no matter what they may be going through. I would just like to thank each and every one of you for tuning into the first episode of my podcast.

Athena Hope: 17:04

We've begun to delve into the complexities of the class war and share the powerful voices of some trans individuals. It's important to remember that, despite the recent setbacks, our country has made significant progress in the fight for our rights. This is a testament to the power of our collective voice in action. Let's hold on to this hope for a better future. Please take a moment to explore our link tree in the show notes. It's a gateway to our community and a treasure trove of relevant links discussed in this episode. Your involvement is crucial to our mission. My name is Athena Hope. Until next time, increase the heat. I wanna watch it burn, burn, burn to death, burn, burn, burn to death.