Monday, March 31 was Transgender Day of Visibility.

The issue is in the spotlight, but not for the reasons activists might hope.

Transgender people are about 1% of the U.S. population.

Yet they’re a political lightning rod.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump used contentiousness around transgender people’s access to sports and bathrooms to fire up conservative voters and sway undecideds.

So why has this small population found itself with such an outsized role in American politics?

Political experts say Trump’s actions reflect a set of beliefs that transgender people are dangerous, or they are men trying to get access to women’s spaces.

However, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other major medical groups have said that gender-affirming treatments can be medically necessary and are supported by evidence.