Trans Life In Trump's America.
March 27, 2025 3:04 PM Subscribe
Survey shows trans adults fear losing health care, concerned about being too open about their gender-identity. Which, considering current federal policies, is probably a rational fear.
On the first day that Trump took office, he signed Executive Order 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government", whose purpose was to declare that the official policy of the United States was that:
And the host of other things that the current administration is doing. Like the EEOC no longer accepting being trans as worth investigating as discrimination, or HUD maintaining that women's shelters can't discriminate against transgender women, or the CDC no longer processing data on transgender persons.
On the first day that Trump took office, he signed Executive Order 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government", whose purpose was to declare that the official policy of the United States was that:
"Sex" shall refer to an individual's immutable biological classification as either male or female. "Sex" is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of "gender identity."</blockquoteQuite probably, the two largest ones are
This has resulted in a number of changes to United States policies and processes with regards to the transgender community.
- the ban on transgender troops in the Military (which was actually under Executive Order 14183) and which is being challenged in the court case of Talbot v. Trump. A preliminary injunction has been issued by Judge Ana Reyes in an opinion where she stated:
The Military Ban is soaked in animus and dripping with pretext. Its language is unabashedly demeaning, its policy stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit, and its conclusions bear no relation to fact. Thus, even if the Court analyzed the Military Ban under rational basis review, it would fail.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered an immediate change on the processing of passports. The Department of State is now holding some passports and other documents (such as birth certificates and court orders) submitted by transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people who had applied to update the sex designation on their U.S. passports and returning others with their applications rejected and their newly-issued passport marked with their sex assigned at birth (as happened to actress Hunter Schafer). This is being challenged in Orr v. Trump which had an initial hearing on the 25th. (No one has, as far as I can find, filed a similar one for the Social Security Administration, which is also refusing to make changes.)
We propose to amend §156.115(d) to provide that an issuer of coverage subject to EHB (Essential Health Benefits) requirements may not provide sex-trait modification as an EHB beginning with Plan Year (PY) 2026.(They're also screwing over people under DACA with it, but if you've looked at the news about deportations, that shouldn't surprise you.)
And the host of other things that the current administration is doing. Like the EEOC no longer accepting being trans as worth investigating as discrimination, or HUD maintaining that women's shelters can't discriminate against transgender women, or the CDC no longer processing data on transgender persons.
Mod note: UsPolitics tag added
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:33 PM on March 27 [2 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 3:33 PM on March 27 [2 favorites]
The Fight for Trans Healthcare: How a New Federal Rule Could Limit Gender-Affirming Care has info about i) how to leave a comment on the proposed rule and ii) how to contact your reps {which you probably know by now if you're inclined to do} but even more so, what the message to them could be.
posted by stevil at 3:50 PM on March 27 [1 favorite]
posted by stevil at 3:50 PM on March 27 [1 favorite]
All of our moods' should be dark...
And no one seems to be willing to stop this shit. Or the DOGE shit. Or the Signal shit.
It's just shit all the way down it seems.
posted by Windopaene at 3:52 PM on March 27 [2 favorites]
And no one seems to be willing to stop this shit. Or the DOGE shit. Or the Signal shit.
It's just shit all the way down it seems.
posted by Windopaene at 3:52 PM on March 27 [2 favorites]
My trans friend who has been transitioning has gone from working on getting their name legally changed to [newname] [lastname] to [deadname] [newname] [lastname] because they figure it'll be easier and then they'll just go by their 'middle' name, but I could hear the disappointment in their voice.
posted by AzraelBrown at 3:54 PM on March 27 [5 favorites]
posted by AzraelBrown at 3:54 PM on March 27 [5 favorites]
i have a long mastodon / linkedin post to write about this, but seeking employment while trans is a distinct bouquet of despair.
When interviewing candidates, the underlying question every hiring manager wants to know is "are you going to bring me problems, or are you going to bring me solutions?" As a trans person (who doesn't pass), it's next to impossible to look at me and not see problems. What'll happen when I get misgendered? Will I be a squeaky wheel about every microaggression and become a nuisance? What do their coworkers think of trans people? What about customers? Will I make the hiring manager look good among their peers and leaders, or will I be seen as them taking an unnecessary risk? Is my face one that they won't mind looking at every day, or does my appearance make them feel uncomfortable?
That's a lot to consider. And when doing so along side a handful of cisgender people who don't have those unknowns hanging over their head, it's no surprise when I find myself passed over again and again.
Sure, I could be using this unemployment time to acquire new skills, or start collecting certifications or perhaps even a new degree, but no amount of new skills, certs or degrees is going to make up for my perception as a "risky hire", so why waste the time and money on it?
posted by neuracnu at 4:07 PM on March 27 [4 favorites]
When interviewing candidates, the underlying question every hiring manager wants to know is "are you going to bring me problems, or are you going to bring me solutions?" As a trans person (who doesn't pass), it's next to impossible to look at me and not see problems. What'll happen when I get misgendered? Will I be a squeaky wheel about every microaggression and become a nuisance? What do their coworkers think of trans people? What about customers? Will I make the hiring manager look good among their peers and leaders, or will I be seen as them taking an unnecessary risk? Is my face one that they won't mind looking at every day, or does my appearance make them feel uncomfortable?
That's a lot to consider. And when doing so along side a handful of cisgender people who don't have those unknowns hanging over their head, it's no surprise when I find myself passed over again and again.
Sure, I could be using this unemployment time to acquire new skills, or start collecting certifications or perhaps even a new degree, but no amount of new skills, certs or degrees is going to make up for my perception as a "risky hire", so why waste the time and money on it?
posted by neuracnu at 4:07 PM on March 27 [4 favorites]
i'd like to suggest some things to keep in mind if you're cis:
- consider that you don't know as much as a trans person about trans care, rights, and identity
- your trans friends don't tell you everything (this is a corollary of the above)
- if a trans person corrects something you said, that is a great opportunity to learn from us directly
- full bodily autonomy, nothing less is acceptable
- our anger at the democrats is justified
- our fears are more justified than that
death before detransition.
posted by secret about box at 4:22 PM on March 27 [15 favorites]
- consider that you don't know as much as a trans person about trans care, rights, and identity
- your trans friends don't tell you everything (this is a corollary of the above)
- if a trans person corrects something you said, that is a great opportunity to learn from us directly
- full bodily autonomy, nothing less is acceptable
- our anger at the democrats is justified
- our fears are more justified than that
death before detransition.
posted by secret about box at 4:22 PM on March 27 [15 favorites]
(mefi doesn't have the best track record with this area and i want that to change. no reason it can't.)
posted by secret about box at 4:24 PM on March 27 [7 favorites]
posted by secret about box at 4:24 PM on March 27 [7 favorites]
For anyone who lives in/near Ohio, Texas, West Virginia, or Kentucky, there is a nonprofit healthcare organization called Equitas Health that provides gender affirming care to the LGBTQIA+ community (and also care to those living with HIV/AIDS). They take health insurance and also will work with patients on a sliding fee scale.
(full disclosure: I will start working for Equitas in April, doing policy and legislative stuff.)
posted by cooker girl at 4:29 PM on March 27 [4 favorites]
(full disclosure: I will start working for Equitas in April, doing policy and legislative stuff.)
posted by cooker girl at 4:29 PM on March 27 [4 favorites]
I want to add, too, particularly with respect to the CDC thing, that a lot of the marginalisation faced by trans people is lands heavily on black trans women in particular. The HIV stats in some cities are simply horrific.
strips gender-affirming health care from marketplace plans (referring to it as "sex-trait modification") specifically stating:
The thing that freaks me out is that, read literally, it's about *issuers* who offer plans on the marketplace, not marketplace plans. Gating access to the marketplace is how you gut coverage for transition-related care. However, no one seems to be talking about that. I can't tell if that's because I'm overly pessimistic or because people are naive.
posted by hoyland at 4:32 PM on March 27 [3 favorites]
strips gender-affirming health care from marketplace plans (referring to it as "sex-trait modification") specifically stating:
The thing that freaks me out is that, read literally, it's about *issuers* who offer plans on the marketplace, not marketplace plans. Gating access to the marketplace is how you gut coverage for transition-related care. However, no one seems to be talking about that. I can't tell if that's because I'm overly pessimistic or because people are naive.
posted by hoyland at 4:32 PM on March 27 [3 favorites]
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posted by Lemkin at 3:25 PM on March 27 [2 favorites]