Media research points to transgender topic being spun primarily by traditional media and social media as a political wedge issue to mobilize right-leaning voters, akin to abortion rights before:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/politics/transgender-c...

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/Anti-trans-attitudes...

https://www.mediamatters.org/facebook/right-dominating-faceb...