The Trump administration is preparing another attack on the LGBTQ community.
The Department of Health and Human Services is planning on releasing a memo later this year denying the existence of transgender people, The New York Times reports.
"Sex means a person's status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth," the memo reads. "The sex listed on a person's birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person's sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence."
This memo effectively erases trans people from existence, including all the civil rights laws in place protecting them that ban discrimination. Genetic testing would be required to legally challenge the sex on the brith certificate.
LGBT celebrities and activists are voicing their concerns over this latest attack on equality form the Trump administration:
\u201cWe must not give up the fight. But in the face of this affront on my existence and the existence of my community I choose love not fear. We exist and always have.\n\nTrump Administration Eyes Defining Transgender Out of Existence https://t.co/G4rKB1mVfe\u201d— Laverne Cox (@Laverne Cox) 1540137679
\u201cIn indigenous cultures all over the world gender existed beyond the binary and folks who we would call trans today held sacred places in those cultures. Western colonialism drove those trans folks to the margins but we have always been here. Marginalizing trans folks is another\u201d— Laverne Cox (@Laverne Cox) 1540137679
\u201cExample of the brutality of colonialism. This latest administration effort to legislate trans folks out of existence is yet another example of why the fight for gender equity must be intersectional and necessarily must include trans folks. Trans folks need everyone to stand with\u201d— Laverne Cox (@Laverne Cox) 1540137679
\u201cus in this fight, to let our government know this is not who we are. We need the citizens of Massachusetts to #VoteYesOn3 Nov. 6 to send a strong message that you value the lives of your trans friends, family and neighbors. Trans people have been under attack by this\u201d— Laverne Cox (@Laverne Cox) 1540137679
\u201cadministration from day 1 and in state legislatures for years now. Let's join together America and assert #TransRightsAreHumanRights. #TransIsBeautiful\u201d— Laverne Cox (@Laverne Cox) 1540137679
\u201cThe cruelty and bigotry of this administration truly has no limit. We should be doing everything we can to protect our transgender brothers and sisters. https://t.co/pD4dZ6tULc\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1540134830
\u201cThis is pure evil. Get your friends together and vote like our lives depend on it. Because they do. https://t.co/mri7fM62Dh\u201d— billy eichner (@billy eichner) 1540137793
\u201cTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\nTrans people #WontBeErased\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1540143047
\u201cThey can try all they want, but they cannot erase us.\u201d— Janet Mock (@Janet Mock) 1540137965
\u201cHave decided that instead of letting my identity be erased by the government I\u2019m going to double down and become twice as transgender\u201d— Laura Jane Grace (@Laura Jane Grace) 1540165450
\u201cI woke to this. I'm honestly terrified. Basically TRUMP asked every gov agency define sex as only man or woman NOT Changable. only birth sex will be valid. disputes to be settled by genetic tests. He's already put people in charge who will approve this.https://t.co/pMDm3hzD1Z\u201d— Miss Peppermint. BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER (@Miss Peppermint. BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER) 1540132765
\u201cEvery celebrity that wore purple for #SpiritDay should be standing up for trans people and not allowing us to be bullied by this administration. Remember allyship is an action.\u201d— A N G E L I C A (@A N G E L I C A) 1540182858
\u201cGender roles don\u2019t define people at all . Nobody is better than anybody else . If you\u2019re male or you\u2019re female , if you\u2019re gay or straight or bi , if you\u2019re transgender , if you\u2019re religious or not religious if you like fucking Harry Potter , if you\u2019re rich or you\u2019re poor\u201d— KIM PETRAS \u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d\udd25 (@KIM PETRAS \u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d\udd25) 1540181187
\u201cShit is just labels we put on ourselves that make us miserable . Equality is about seeing beyond that and seeing that what matters is if you\u2019re a nice person or if you\u2019re good at something , if you\u2019re honest , if you\u2019re fun . You\u2019re so much more than just a fucking gender \ud83d\udc95\u201d— KIM PETRAS \u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d\udd25 (@KIM PETRAS \u2764\ufe0f\u200d\ud83d\udd25) 1540181187
