I only have a theory.

Most of society is not happy of what they have. Not like they want to be super rich, but to not be too poor to worry at the end of each month, if not daily. Being unhappy leads to anger. Anger may be profitable for the manipulator, it's enough to point anyone to blame. And the manipulator gets profits after that. Steam vent off from anger, they helped, they good.

Someone to blame, it could be anyone, some minority. Someone unknown. Someone unable to fight back. Someone not essential to the society (of what society things*). We are perfect candidates. Next to migrants, outsiders, invaders to old system, As bonus, outsiders and invaders to the old are dangerous to the manipulator, so even better to get rid of them...

I've said we are not essential? are we? Many, even neutral, think so - they could live same without us, maybe even true?... I'd say, we are the wind of change to the society, we do break chains of old systems... we do break one of oldest systems, binary genders, showing that old is not permanent (that's one reason, some are afraid of us).

We win by existence.