Link roundup, “Unceasing Stream of Shit Being Done to Trans People By Assholes” Edition
An incomplete and infuriating list of recent news relating to trans people in the United States. It’s really bad out there, people.
Federal-level
Purges of people and of ideas
There’s a McCarthyist purge underway of federal employees who talked to each other in a transgender support group (Erin). Meanwhile, we’re seeing anticipatory obedience from civil society: Several Nonprofits Overcomply With Trump EOs, Erase Trans People From Websites, by Mira Lazine.
Foreign visas
Adam Crafton reports the U.S. government orders visa bans for transgender athletes. It’s not just about athletes though: Marco Rubio May Have Just Banned [All] Trans Foreigners Seeking Visas From US Entry (Erin).
Military service
Regarding the total ban of trans people from military service: No, Trump's Trans Military Ban Does Not Have A Waiver
For Openly Trans People Serving (Erin). Dave Philipps reports that the Number of Trans Troops [Is] Far Lower Than Estimated. This is of course not a surprise; it’s well-established science that Americans consistently overestimate the size of minority populations. A cognitive bias that helps fearmongers stoke hatred and suspicion, surely.
Inmates
Fear for Their Lives
: Trans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Housed With Men, by Beth Schwartzapfel. People Will Die
from Trump’s Trans Prisoner Crackdown, Experts Warn, by Adam M. Rhodes.
The States
At the state level, Iowa, Alabama, and Montana have all passed anti-trans bills recently:
- Iowa Lawmakers Pass Bill to Eliminate Transgender Civil Rights Protections, by Mitch Smith.
- Alabama Passes Anti-Trans Law That Could Formally Greenlight Sex-Based Segregation, by s. baum.
The Crime Is Being Trans
: Montana House Passes Indecent Exposure Bill Applying Only To Trans People (Erin)
It’s not all bad news from the states, though. Protests broke out in Iowa, and a Montana judge blocked an anti-trans bill, describing it as intellectually and morally indefensible
(Erin). Of course, resistance from the states is being actively countered—for instance, take Maine: Maine’s Governor Stood Up To Trump To Protect Trans Students. Now The State Is Under Investigation, by Paulina Rodriguez.