US Will No Longer Allow Transgender, Nonbinary Identities, Per Trump Order
Gender identity — and protections such as health care afforded to people in that community — will be stripped from the federal government. A legal challenge is already planned. Separately, an effort is underway to remove transgender people from the military.
Advocate:
Donald Trump’s Government Declares That Transgender And Nonbinary People Don’t Exist
As one of his first executive orders since returning to office on Monday, President Donald Trump declared that the federal government would no longer recognize transgender people. The sweeping directive, titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” defines sex as strictly male or female based on the “immutable biological reality of sex” characteristics at birth. The new Republican administration claims this move will “defend women’s rights” and restore “trust in government itself.” (Wiggins, 1/20)
The 19th:
Trump Clears The Way To Ban Transgender People From Military Service
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday clearing the way to bar transgender people from military service by revoking a Biden-era policy that allowed trans service members. Trump did not lay out a new ban, though he is expected to do so soon as his administration moves swiftly to target transgender rights. Once that ban is in place, it is expected to result in one of the largest layoffs of transgender people in history and is likely to face legal challenges; the military is the largest employer in the nation, and transgender people are twice as likely to serve as their cisgender peers. (Sosin and Rummler, 1/20)
The New York Times:
State Republicans Propose New Limits On Transgender Identity
After a campaign year in which Republicans portrayed Democrats as deeply out of step with the mainstream on transgender issues, Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the country have filed dozens of proposals aimed at limiting the extent to which trans people can be recognized according to their gender identity. ... This year’s proposals cover a broader set of restrictions, or augment existing ones, across a wider range of states. (Harmon, 1/18)
