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The targeting of transgender individuals has increasingly become a tool for political maneuvering, particularly within the Republican Party. Figures such as Congresswoman Nancy Mace have pushed for legislation that restricts transgender individuals from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity, while former President Donald Trump has vowed to protect “women's sports” from transgender inclusion. Finke comments on this trend as an extreme backlash against visibility and representation, suggesting that Republican institutions need to recognize the human cost of their political strategies: "They are hurting human people and not just making hypothetical political arguments."