It's not just that, it's a deliberate attempt at both dehumanizing trans people and not acknowledging our existence. They avoid entirely to use any term like "trans woman" or "trans person" that refers to an actual human being targeted by them, it's always an impersonal, abstract "gender ideology" or "trans agenda" at play. The fact that their policies directly threaten the lifes and dignity of actual human beings must be tuned out at all costs, because not doing so would mean admitting that we are out here and exist. If they absolutely can't avoid referring to one of us and can't use slurs or misgendering because they need to keep the mask on, they will stick exclusively to wordings like "trans rights activist" even when that person has done zero praxis besides coming out as trans and just living their life.