The Oxford English Dictionary defines solidarity as “a form of obligation involving joint and several responsibilities or rights” (Oxford English Dictionary). As I build on this definition based on insights from ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio and from Plenary discussions, I conceptualize solidarity as the moral obligation of a privileged community or individual to act alongside others confronting injustice. Different political and social settings reconfigure the power and risk that different identities experience—and the injustices those identities face. Solidarity demands that communities and individuals not at risk in a given setting surrender the privilege of safety to pursue justice for those who need their support. For example, as Strangio indicates, transgender people face injustice in the current political climate: the Trump administration is challenging gender-affirming medical care, legalizing anti-trans workplace discrimination, and attempting to prevent trans people from serving in the military (Strangio; Fields; Francois). In response, cisgender people can and should stand in solidarity with the transgender community. Since trans people currently face risks that cisgender individuals do not, Strangio explains, cisgender allies must join in solidarity in the fight for transgender justice.
However, as Strangio suggests and the OED makes explicit, solidarity refers to more than just expressing support for an underprivileged community or believing that they deserve fair treatment. Instead, solidarity is an obligation: it demands that those standing in solidarity take action to combat injustice alongside an underprivileged community. That action becomes critical in spaces that are not safe for marginalized individuals. For example, cisgender people’s solidarity with the trans community may mean protesting for their rights and subsequently getting arrested on their behalf. That action is crucial because in the current political climate, transgender people are fundamentally unsafe in jail, where they face increased risk of assault, violence, non-supportive medical care, and discriminatory housing (Strangio; ACLU of Oregon). Imprisonment may not be desirable for cisgender people either, but the danger they face there is greatly reduced: jail is a risk that they can and, solidarity demands, ought to take. By committing to personal risk through action, communities and individuals standing in solidarity demonstrate a powerful commitment to their cause (Boyer). The supportive language of alliance is not enough to counteract injustice. Instead, solidarity becomes a meaningful force towards justice only when reinforced by active commitment.
Works Cited
ACLU of Oregon. “Laws, Court Decisions and Advocacy Tips to Protect Transgender Prisoners.” 2025, www.aclu-or.org/en/know-your-rights/laws-court-decisions-advocacy-tips-protect-transgender-prisoners. Accessed 30 April 2025.
Boyer, Patricio. In-class communication to HUM 104. 29 April 2025.
Fields, Amy. “Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Transgender Military Service Ban.” Human Rights Campaign, 27 March 2025, www.hrc.org/press-releases/federal-judge-blocks-trump-administrations-transgender-military-service-ban. Accessed 30 April 2025.
Francois, Lisa. “The Human Toll of Trump’s Anti-Trans Crusade.” American Civil Liberties Union, 3 April 2025, www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/the-human-toll-of-trumps-anti-trans-crusade. Accessed 30 April 2025.
Oxford English Dictionary. “Solidarity, (n.), sense 3.” Oxford UP, July 2023, doi.org/10.1093/OED/9085224053. Accessed 30 April 2025.
Strangio, Chase. “The Potential and Limits of Legal Advocacy in the Fight for Trans Justice.” Sally G. McMillen Lecture, 16 April 2025, Lilly Gallery, Davidson College, Davidson, NC. Lecture.
