Trump Administration Eyes to Revoke Protections of Transgender People

The Trump administration is looking to legally define gender as the biological genitalia that you are born with, which would undo the decisions made by the Obama administration in terms of protecting the transgender community under federal civil rights law. The Department of Health and Human Services is spearheading the change in policy to define gender as: either female or male, unchangeable and determined at birth. Anyone who tried to dispute their sex would have to go through genetic testing.

If this gets passed, it would essentially remove the federal recognition of approximately 1.4 million Americans who identify as a different gender than the one they were born into.

Speaking to the New York Times, Sarah Warbelow, the legal director of the Human Rights Campaign said the following: 

“Transgender people are frightened. At every step where the administration has had the choice, they’ve opted to turn their back on transgender people.” 

The news has sparked outrage from both the transgender community and their allies.