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u.s. news Dialuna 26 OctOber 2020

For transgender activists, election stokes hopes and fears

(AP) - Among transgender-rights
activists, there’s a powerful mix of
hope and fear heading toward the
Nov. 3 election. They’re yearning
for President Donald Trump’s
defeat but dreading the possibil-
ity that his administration might
win four more years and continue
targeting them with hostile poli-
cies.

“The stakes are extremely high,” said
Shannon Minter, a transgender at-
torney with the National Center for
Lesbian Rights. “It seems clear that
President Trump intends to use the
full power of the presidency and the
executive branch to inflict maximum
damage on the transgender commu-
nity.”

Among the administration's moves
that have been decried by activists:
— A near-total ban on military ser-
vice by transgender people.
— Support from administration at-
torneys for efforts to prevent trans-
gender girls from competing in Ida-
ho K-12 girls' sports and university
women sports and from doing so in
Connecticut high school girls' sports.
— A move to end health-care protec-
tions for trans people provided by Af- gender people are protected from Delaware’s best-known political athletic bodies that regulate sports
fordable Care Act. discrimination in employment under family. She worked on the late Beau both nationally and globally.”
— Moves to eliminate anti-discrimi- the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Biden’s campaigns for state attorney
nation protections for trans people in general, and Beau’s father, Joe Biden, Shannon Minter, the National Cen-
homeless shelters and for trans stu- Strangio played a lead role on the wrote the foreword to her memoir. ter for Lesbian Rights attorney, noted
dents in schools. legal team for one of the plaintiffs that Nye was appointed by Trump
Adding to activists' anxiety is the con- in that case -- Aimee Stephens, who “I am very aware of the stark con- and praised the judge's “incredibly
tinuing violence directed at transgen- was fired from her job at a Detroit- trast between the president we could positive, thoughtful decision.”
der people. area funeral home after her employer have (Biden) and the president we “That was a powerful reminder to me
There have been at least 33 violent learned she was transgender. The Su- now have,” McBride said. “There has that even conservative judges, and
deaths of transgender or gender non- preme Court ruled a month after Ste- never been a moment in the fight for by extension, people generally, value
conforming people this year in the phens’ death that her firing in 2013 trans equality with such potential and fairness and inclusion,” Minter said.
U.S., according to the Human Rights violated the civil rights law. at the same time such risk.” The Trump administration weighed
Campaign, a national LGBTQ-rights Overall, Strangio is concerned that in to support the Idaho law, saying in
organization. That's the highest year- Trump’s appointments of more than Kris Hayashi, executive director of a court filing by the Justice Depart-
ly total since the group began tracking 200 federal judges – and the likely the California-based Transgender ment that it did not violate the U.S.
transgender killings in 2013. addition of conservative judge Amy Law Center, suggested there would Constitution. The administration
Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court be challenges for trans-rights activ- filed a similar document in March in
On Oct. 16, former Vice President -- is creating a federal judiciary that ists at the state level even if a Biden another federal lawsuit in Connecti-
Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic ri- may not defend transgender rights. victory leads to more trans-friendly cut.
val in the presidential election, issued federal policies.
what the Human Rights Campaign “If Trump loses, I’m hopeful we’ll see “We are likely to see legislatures con- A conservative group, the American
described as his strongest statement federal agencies reversing the many tinue to enact — and even escalate Principles Project, has been striving
of the campaign supporting trans is- anti-trans policies that the Trump — a Trump administration playbook for months to draw attention to the
sues. He decried the anti-trans vio- administration has adopted,” Stran- at the state level, with increased trans issue of transgender sports participa-
lence and asserted that Trump and gio said. “However, we can expect athletics ban bills, medical ban bills, tion, hoping to build support for bans
Vice President Mike Pence “have fu- that any trans-inclusive agency poli- and bad bills around public accom- on trans girls and trans women com-
eled the flames of transphobia.” cies will be challenged in court and modations access,” Hayashi said via peting in female sports.
we will have to defend them before email.
The White House press office in an increasingly hostile judges.” The group’s executive director, Terry
email exchange declined to comment One was signed into law in Idaho Schilling, was a guest on Fox News
on Biden's statement. The run-up to the election has been in March -- prohibiting transgender host Tucker Carlson's show in Au-
“Every day it feels like there are new a mix of excitement and apprehen- students who identify as female from gust, and both said that the Trump
horrors to confront about the future, sion for trans activist Sarah McBride, playing on female teams sponsored campaign should highlight the ques-
and the types of attacks we will en- who has been a spokeswoman for the by public schools, colleges and uni- tion of transgender sports participa-
counter,” said Chase Strangio, who Human Rights Campaign for several versities. tion. But the topic did not catch on as
leads transgender-justice initiatives years and is now running for a seat in The American Civil Liberties Union a major election campaign issue.
for the the Delaware Senate. filed a lawsuit challenging the law in
American Civil Liberties Union’s April, and a federal judge blocked the A bill proposing the kind of ban en-
LGBT and HIV Project. She easily won the Democratic pri- law’s implementation while the case visioned by Schilling was introduced
mary in her Wilmington-area district proceeds. in the U.S. House of Representatives
Even as he worries about what might and is a favorite to become the first in January and a similar bill was in-
lie ahead under a second term for trans member of any state Senate in In issuing an injunction, U.S. District troduced in the Senate in September.
Trump, Strangio is encouraged by the the nation. Judge David Nye wrote that the law’s But neither has advanced to the com-
6-3 Supreme Court ruling in June af- ban on transgender athletes “stands in mittee hearings needed for the bills to
firming that gays, lesbians and trans- McBride has long-standing ties to stark contrast to the policies of elite reach the chamber floors for a vote.