What is Trantifa? Far-Left Trans Movement Spreading Across U.S.

A United Nations investigator is among several voices raising the alarm about a rise in far-left transgender activists, amid reports of some intimidating and physically assaulting those who disagree with them.

In an interview with the British Daily Mail newspaper on Sunday, Reem Alsalem, the international body's special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said it was an "increasing trend" that she had been observing, calling on officials to protect freedom of speech regarding conversations around gender.

Many politicians and commentators in the U.S. have railed against what they see as transgender ideology, which they argue indoctrinates younger people into thinking they are in the wrong body and should seek life-altering treatments.

At the same time, trans-rights advocates argue that wider acceptance is needed, as trans individuals face threats to their safety and an increasing number of proposed laws limit transgender rights and access to healthcare.

The debate around transgender inclusion has often become heated, with both sides facing incendiary remarks and threats of violence. Some transgender activists have distanced themselves from "extreme" rhetoric.

Trantifa is a portmanteau of "transgender" and "Antifa," the latter being itself a truncation of "anti-fascist" and a left-wing movement that rose to prominence in 2017. The antifa movement has faced criticism from right-wing figures, including Donald Trump, who have accused them of acts of violence.

"Antifa's professed purpose is to vigorously oppose fascism," the Anti-Defamation League states. "While some extreme actors who claim to be affiliated with Antifa do engage in violence or vandalism at rallies and events, this is not the norm."

The hate watchdog adds its research suggests that because Antifa is a leaderless, loose collection of groups and individuals, it is "impossible" to know how many people count themselves a part of it.

"While many Antifa sympathizers do not support violence as the only—or even the main—instrument to oppose fascism, they do view violence as a legitimate option," a 2021 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies said.

The report added: "Although Antifa extremists primarily use violence in the context of ideological clashes at demonstrations—many of which do not match common definitions of terrorism—some have also taken independent action against government targets perceived as unjust."

It said that at a demonstration in Portland, Oregon, on August 29, 2020, Michael Reinoehl—a self-identified Antifa supporter—shot dead Aaron "Jay" Danielson, from the far-right group Patriot Prayer.

The new, transgender-focused sub-movement is also thought not to be a formalized group, but rather to denote those who feel similarly about trans issues.

However, there is an official Trantifa International Facebook page and Twitter account, which describes itself as "the transgender arm of Antifa."

Speaking to the Mail, Alsalem cited a recent incident involving Riley Gaines, a former collegiate competitive swimmer who has become a leading figure calling for transgender women to be prevented from competing in women's sports categories.

While some say that excluding transgender athletes from women's categories is discriminatory, others say that such inclusion was itself prejudicial as it meant biological women were at a disadvantage.

Alsalem said Gaines was "ambushed and hit" by "screaming trans activists."

When Gaines spoke at a Turning Point U.S.A. event in April on the San Francisco State University campus, she was chased and verbally abused by protesters, video footage shows. She alleged that one of the protesters hit her twice.

However, it is unclear whether the demonstrators who interrupted the talk would identify themselves as part of the Trantifa movement.

Alsalem told the newspaper that U.S. officials and those in other Western nations should "ensure that the freedom of speech and thought, including on the issues of sex, gender, and gender identity be protected and upheld."

Julio Rosas, a conservative author who in May testified to Congress about left-wing violence, described the Trantifa movement to the Mail as viewing "the U.S. as systemically racist, that it's subjugated queer people, and that states passing laws against child mutilations is part of a trans genocide. And they're fighting back."

Responding to a Fox News report on Trantifa, Katherine Abughazaleh, a senior video producer for media watchdog Media Matters, tweeted: "[The] new right-wing paranoid delusion just dropped."

Some transgender individuals have faced criticism for brandishing guns on social media while threatening "transphobes," as well as warning that someone preventing them from using a women's bathroom would be the "last mistake they ever make."

At the same time, Republican state legislators are working to pass legislation that would limit gender-affirming care for children and young people.

According to the Trans Legislation Tracker website, there are 592 bills actively being considered in states across the U.S. that would limit access to transgender healthcare or greater legal recognition. Eighty-six bills have so far been passed.

Newsweek approached Trantifa International via email for comment on Thursday.

While an FBI spokesperson would not comment on the specific concerns raised, they said: "We are committed to upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans and will never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment-protected activity.

"As always, we ask members of the public to report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement."

Update 06/16/23, 3:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from the FBI.