Officially entering office in January of 2025, Donald Trump has already begun targeting transgender and non-binary individuals. While the United States already has a long list of issues that have yet to be confronted, from the climate disaster to the state of our country’s economy, Trump chooses, without fail, to make transgender and non-binary individuals one of his main focuses instead. On Trump’s first day back in office, he called for a national change in our government’s gender policies, stating the government would now only recognize two unchangeable sexes, male and female.
Not only does this go against transgender individuals and their rights, but also the rights of those who confine themselves with neither male nor female. Trump took his policy a step further by applying his two gender rule across US passports. Meaning that the State Department must no longer grant requests for new or updated passports with gender identification of “X” (either male or female) and decline the change between male/female identification for transgender individuals.
Trump’s anti-transgender policies are already alarming for a number of communities, but are unfortunately also developing an impact on transgender youth. One of his most recent policies called for a halt of the usage of federal money to support gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth under 19 years of age. This applies to medical care such as puberty blocking drugs, hormone therapy, and any other type of gender-affirming surgery. Just earlier this month, a 16-year old transgender male was denied a breast removal surgery at the Seattle Children’s Hospital just hours before his scheduled surgery. The Seattle hospital claimed that the surgery was halted in response to Trump’s recent administration order against gender-affirming medical care on youth. The child’s mother stated about Donald Trump’s recent presidency, “Under an ideal circumstance, I would stay and spend my life on the resistance, but I am disabled and I have a trans child who is also disabled. He’s right we should get out”.
Unfortunately, his policies against the youth don’t stop there. Another executive order has been placed against “racial indoctrination” in the national school system. This policy blocks schools from using federal funds to support students who are socially transitioning and stops the funding of education on the idea of gender fluidity.
But, here’s the deal. Trump is playing to the masses. He recently passed a law to prevent trans-women from participating in sports, a move that seems to have popular support. While there is reasoning behind some of his recent Transgender policies, others seem to stem from his personal negative outlooks on Transgender individuals. Policies that put a stop to Transgender medical care, process of transition, and education of gender look to be out of detest of Transgender communities. Only 1% of the United States population is transgender, so why is passing policies that disrupt transgender health and community one of his first steps in office? Many state his recent policies align with “Project 2025’s” initiatives although Trump replies he has “nothing to do with Project 2025”.
Even amongst the chaos and confusion, supporting and uplifting transgender and non-binary communities is important now more than ever. While a number of Trump’s anti-transgender policies have already been put into action, the fight for their communities rights shouldn’t stop. Educating one another, attending local protests, and lifting up transgender and non-binary voices is crucial in moments like these.
