Williams, of New Jersey, said having control over one’s own life and identity is a core tenet of Republicanism. She’s thankful that this year’s best actress winner at the Oscars, Jessica Chastain, was so vocal in calling attention to the rash of bills targeting the trans community, “because many people aren’t hearing that.”

“Lives are being destroyed,” said Williams. “When you feel like you have to move from a state where you’ve started a career, where you have friends, but your state government is threatening to take your children away, that’s not America.”

She said some trans conservatives feel as though they’re fighting these battles without much help.

“The most disconcerting part for us as transgender people is that we’re not as large as the LG community,” Williams said. “We don’t have the money and the resources that they have. Too many of them, once same-sex marriage was approved, kind of went to the sidelines. A lot of transgender people for many years helped in that fight, and now we’re fighting for our lives.”