05/23/2026
Monty Fritts, running for Tennessee governor, publicly called for the state to execute parents and guardians of transgender children. Not hypothetical political theater. Not dog whistle rhetoric. An actual candidate with gubernatorial ambitions openly advocating for lethal state punishment of families who support their trans kids. The statement drew widespread condemnation, but the damage was already done - this is where anti-trans politics has arrived.
This isn't happening in isolation. Tennessee has become ground zero for anti-trans legislation, passing laws restricting healthcare access, bathroom use, and sports participation for transgender youth. Fritts' call for ex*****on represents the logical endpoint of escalating rhetoric that dehumanizes trans people and their families. When politicians consistently frame supporting trans kids as child abuse, calls for extreme punishment follow.
Targeting parents isn't accidental strategy - it's designed to terrify families into abandoning their transgender children. The message is clear: support your trans kid and face death. This psychological warfare aims to isolate vulnerable youth from their support systems. Every family with a trans child now knows that political candidates are literally calling for their ex*****on. The stakes couldn't be higher for protecting transgender youth and the families who love them unconditionally."