Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama all are advancing bills that "define sex" to exclude transgender people from any legal recognition of their gender.
trans people were way better off before they became such a loud voice in politics. they have essentially shot themselves in the foot trying to be the center of attention.
The whole reason they became more visible in politics is because they were tired of being killed and nobody cared.
So no, they weren't "better off before". They were (and still are) subject to unimaginable violence, the difference is NOW, it doesn't happen in silence.