The reason why things are getting so bad is exactly, precisely, because of a systemic failure to continually and vigorously appeal to the moderates. The cause is getting harder all the time, but it's not lost--which is good, because appealing to moderates is really the only approach short of violent revolution that's going to deliver a lasting change in society.

This doesn't mean that one shouldn't also take prudent measures to protect oneself against an increasingly violence-excusing and totally immoderate opposition. But politically, the thing to do is what you did: "I was able to be successful here not because I preached trans rights, but because I showed them I wasn't a monster."

Yes, that can be done in an organized way. But if you go in with the attitude that (1) everything is an existential threat, (2) if you're not with us 100%, you're against us, and (3) the louder, the better (which, roughly, seems to be the modus operandi of a lot of trans advocacy), yeah, that's not going to be appealing to a whole lot of moderates.