In what Trump's administration has branded a "common sense" order, the government will recognise only two sexes, ending all federal funding or recognition of gender identities.
I'm a straight old white male European, so hope you don't mind me posting here. I'm just curious about what impact this will have? It seems to me, that "freedom of speech" can easily be interpreted that it's ok to hate non straight people? Medical treatments might be impaired as well? Also: hate groups like Proud boys and White Lives Matter might very well feel emboldened to get violent, certainly after Elons "gesture". As a European, I fear the worst as this crap looks extremely familiar. What are your thoughts/expectations/fears?
The order, titled "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” was one of more than 200 executive actions Trump issued on the first day of his second term, [...] disbanding federal programs on diversity, equity, and inclusion. [...] the document seeks to redefine gender at the federal level, erase recognition of trans people in government communications, cease the issuance of gender-corrected U.S. passports, bar incarcerated trans women from being housed in women’s prisons, deny gender-affirming medical care to trans inmates, embolden transphobia in the workplace, and block federal dollars from being used to “promote gender ideology.”
I live in the UK, so I only know what I'm being told, but the situation looks pretty dire over there.
Thanks, doesn't sound good at all. There is lots of worrying that Elons billions will enable him to push the extreme right wing political parties with similar views here in Europe. Some think this will be a great thing, but luckily they are still a minority at the moment. But for how long? Take care people, as I expect groups like the Proud Boys will harass you and get away with it.
I always find it weird that conservatives think this is some kind of gotcha for binary trans people. Like, okay, this is a shitty thing to say to nonbinary or intersex people and is both untrue and cruel. But how is this relevant to me, a binary trans woman?
Like.. hello my gender isn't 'trans', it's 'woman'. Idiots.
And even then, it goes beyond gender. Even the idea that you can't change your sex is laughable. "Sex," despite what some TERFs insist, is not traditionally or in practice today determined by DNA. We've learned that chromosomes play a primary factor in determining sex, but your sex isn't your DNA. A blueprint isn't a house; a house is a house. The blueprint just tells you how to build a house.
Physical sex is really about primary and secondary sex characteristics. If a trans woman undergoes SRS for example, her sex is literally female. She has the same anatomy as an infertile woman, or woman whose had a hysterectomy.
And this is the traditional way of defining sex. We referred to people's "sex" for generations prior to discovering DNA. And even today, we sex infants entirely based on their genitalia. Actual genetic screening is incredibly rare.
Bigots just latch onto "sex==genetics" because it allows them an easy cudgel. But in reality, if your primary and secondary sex characteristics are of a certain sex, you are that sex. Does the initial cellular blueprint indicate a different sex? Assuming you're not intersex, sure. But again, DNA is just a blueprint.
The example I always like is the house/boat example. Imagine you owned a wooden boat. That boat was made by a particularly prideful boat builder, and every plank of the boat is stamped, "Smith's shipbuilding co." One day you get tired of sailing the waves, so you take your boat, disassemble it, and use the planks to build a house. You now live in a house where every board is stamped "Smith's shipbuilding co."
Imagine the absurdity of someone coming to your home and telling you, "you live in a boat! Every board clearly labels this building as a boat. Therefore, you must live in a boat."
That is the fallacy of relying on genetics to define sex. Chromosomes are just the initial blueprints or the equivalent of the "Smith shipbuilding co." stamp.
In fairness part of the decree is that it also can't be changed, so definitely still an impact to both binary and nonbinary trans folks. Also love the downplay of enby impacts, if it doesn't impact you it doesn't matter?
Problem is this means that things we were hoping to get like having hormone replacement therapy actually approved by the FDA for use for transgender care will not happen and any enforcement of anti-discrimination or laws against hate speech at the federal level will no longer apply to trans and non-binary people. This will allow, for example, insurance companies to not have to cover transgender care. There is already a huge waiting list for people who are seeking care in the US due to the lack of specialists (myself included), so that list is likely to get longer. And likely any doctors who might have been planning to take up transgender care specialties may have their programs lose their funding. It's a huge impact to a lot of areas of government and many industries to have the federal government not recognize transgender care as valid and not recognize non-binary people like me as people at all.
Also, I'm fortunate enough to live in a state that is friendly to transgender and non-binary people, but my employer is not based here, so the insurance I have doesn't have to obey local laws that don't allow for blanket policies banning coverage of transgender care. So, the federal laws do matter.
Hoping people will start making their own hormones etc. I understand the rest is shit though and I hope we can all start looking after each other instead.
This is an executive order, not a law. That doesn't make it any less terrible, however. Those commenting it is just political posturing are seriously misinformed at the wide range and scope this action will (not might, not could, WILL) have on you. Anything even tangentially related to getting work done, grants made, research funded with the federal government will be effected. In brief, the scope and impact of an executive order can vary greatly depending on the specific issue and the details of the order itself. This one will likely be meant to ensure that grant making, contracts, research, and legal recourse for those not subscribing to it's narrow and, frankly, archaic definitions will have a very difficult time interacting with the federal government in a variety of ways. But again, we are entering uncharted territory where the legislative, judicial, and executive are now all openly corrupt and willing to harm and hinder rather than help people.
I don't think the general public realizes the sheer insanity of the new government and their willingness to go far to harm people they don't like or don't agree with. Therein lies the real danger. How this EO will be interpreted and executed across the executive branch will be purposefully cruel and targeted. With the recent spat of boot licking in SCOTUS, I fear we're all in for a world of hurt. I'm just an ally, and I'm telling you that you absolutely must not bury your head in the sand on this one. You have to find ways to either protect yourself or protest/contest in a way you deem necessary for your health and well-being. Even a simple act of protest can mean a world of difference to those who are and will suffer.
The only bright side is an Executive Order ONLY effects federal branches of government under authority of the President. They can be undone by future presidents and challenged/overturned after judicial review. Remember the "Muslim ban?" That was one example.
So please, I beg you, do not brush this off as a Trumpism. This is meant to unleash the powers of hate, ignorance, and brutality that will latch onto as permission to be complete assholes.
Find community. Meet in person regularly if you can. Just existing in community is huge, if for nothing else than your own emotional, mental, and physical health. We are thinking of you all from outside the US 🫂
My workplace's LGBT resource group is meeting soon. Hoping for good news. I'm wondering why I still live in the US at this point - I have no living family or close friends here and work in an in-demand field. May as well sell my house and move somewhere that I'm welcome.
Knew this was going to happen with the election results. Everyone is telling me to keep calm. That the president wont effect the daily lives of citizens. Yeah I'm sure they told the american Japanese the same before the camps.
this will more than likely get dragged through the courts for the entire term by multiple cases.
plus there's all the legislation that would have to be rewritten or repealed to support this 'policy', that would never get through congress without a larger moron majority than exists currently.