Tracing the Roots of Modern Backlash

Kaleidoscope Trust today publishes Manufacturing Threat: How Trans Identities Have Been Politically Weaponised Throughout History, the third working paper from the Global LGBTI+ Rights Commission.

The report draws on historical evidence, critical theory and discourse analysis to show that anti‑trans narratives are not random or isolated. Instead, these narratives are part of long‑standing patterns of political mobilisation where trans people are positioned as symbols of societal anxiety, moral panic or political “instability.”

While narratives framing trans identities as a “threat” are often presented today as modern controversies, Manufacturing Threat demonstrates that similar framing has been used repeatedly throughout history to:

• Reinforce existing power structures, by defining trans people as outsiders or disruptors of “normative” gender and social order.
• Divert attention from economic or political crises, using trans identities as scapegoats to mobilise support and distract from systemic failures.
• Justify discriminatory laws, policies and social exclusion, embedding prejudice in state and legal frameworks that affect generations.

The report forms the foundation of the third international consultation process taking place through the Global LGBTI+ Rights Commission. Feedback from activists, civil society organisations, academics, and those with lived experience will inform the development of future advocacy strategies and a final report offering a strategic global roadmap.

Submit evidence to the consultation