i've talked about before that transphobia in the 90s, with liberals, has a very different tack. it's gawking at jerry springer and shit and going "huh! weird" and then like moving on. not good, but they aren't melting their brain over it day in, day out.

I once got yelled at for days when I said that 30 years ago a transphobic relative wouldn't make that literally the *only* thing they would talk about, the only media they would consume, etc. they'd still be a worthless piece of shit, but not to this degree

once trans people stop being a group that just exists on trashy TV, and start being people you work with, or your kid knows, or your kid themselves is trans, the comforting distance from the issue is gone and they start losing their minds