The Republican party has embraced the issue especially fervently post-Roe-overturn, but the talk has been building for years, and not only from the right.

It wasn't the right who tried/tries to make a big deal out of J.K. Rowling and boycott (some of) her works (https://sea.ign.com/hogwarts-legacy/195258/news/heres-why-some-gamers-are-boycotting-hogwarts-legacy). Or ease the process to get a gender recognition certificate in Scotland (https://www.gov.scot/news/gender-recognition-reform-bill-passed/)--not something that goes without notice. Or shut down talks at universities, which generates waaaaay more attention than the talk itself (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/mcgill-backlash-anti-trans-talk-1.6708251). And so on and so forth.

One might think it is entirely fair and appropriate for trans people to vigorously seek a more equitable position in society, but the Republican party isn't generating the talk out of nothing. There was plenty to jump into.