I’m surprised he didn’t run into even harder opposition in that interview. The dynamics of transphobia in the United States are a little different than in the UK. Here, at least largely, expressing transphobic ideas is pretty unacceptable among liberal or progressive people.

Yes, we have huge problems with transphobia here, but those problems most often align with political identity. States with Democratic governments and strong Democratic constituencies tend to have laws and policies very much in line with supporting transgender people.

Of course the opposite can be said for Republican states where a lot of anti-trans laws are being proposed or passed now.

Entertainers, unless they intentionally appeal mostly to politically conservative audiences, are usually loathe to express transphobic ideas, because most people oppose those ideas and find them unacceptable. Obviously, some standout exceptions exist.

It’s really discouraging to see somebody like this comic who obviously cares so much about denying other people’s lives, other people’s identities, other people’s realities.

It’s all so very … hateful.

Here in the United States, we’re used to Republicans being terrible people. We’re used to them being hateful. We’re used to them trying to oppress minority groups. Most decent people despise Republicans for that.

I just worry that we’re going to get to the point in the United States where transphobia starts to cross political lines. I hope and pray that doesn’t happen.