Within hours of taking office, President Trump chose to target LGBTQ+ Americans by rescinding Former President Biden's Executive Order 13988 -- which required federal agencies to extend existing nondiscrimination protections protecting sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Had the Equality Act passed and added sexual orientation and gender identity to the federal civil rights act, President Trump's ability to undue these rights would have had limited affect. We hope that one day with the right political make-up, the Equality Act will become the law of the land. While we fear for those across the country, we rest assured knowing in Michigan our state civil rights act still protects people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
President Trump also rescinded the Biden-era order that allowed transgender people to serve in the military, discontinued diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the Executive Branch, instructed the Attorney General on how to apply the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, thus limiting the gender identity and sexual orientation protections outlined by the Court. President Trump also took action to place incarcerated transgender people in prisons in accordance with their sex-assigned-at-birth and not in alignment with their gender identity, while also cutting off funding for access to hormone treatment while incarcerated -- among other things. He further ended the Secretary of State policy allowing for inclusive gender markers on passports, and instructed federal departments to remove documents and reports, including Confronting Anti-LGBTQI+ Harassment in Schools: A Resource for Students and Families, and Supporting Intersex Students: A Resource for Students, Families and Educators, among many others. LGBTQ+ content was also promptly removed from the White House website, while he is also prohibiting federal agencies from providing grant funding to organizations providing diversity, equity and inclusion services, like Chosen Family of Michigan.
Ultimately, these decisions ignore the expertise of medical professionals, uphold traditional binary gender norms and expectations, and degrades the LGBTQ+ community, all while putting the focus on an issue that does not negatively affect non-LGBTQ+ Americans, and doesn't positively improve anyone's life, meanwhile circumventing the Supreme Court and affecting the Attorney General's independence. It does, however, provide safe harbor for bullies while putting our community at risk of harm. Chosen Family of Michigan never attempts to alter the closely held beliefs of those who disagree with us, nor do we attempt to force them to live their lives in the same way that we might. We do, however, fight for decency, respect, understanding and opportunity. These orders are contrary to that, and we will continue to fight back.
Never forget the power you have in sharing your lived experiences as a way to change hearts and minds. We need our community to be brave, and we need to our allies to stand with us. When one group's rights are restricted, it calls into the question the legal basis for the rights of all of us. Our democracy is stronger when all of us are uplifted and able to present ourselves in a way that is authentic to each of us, without fear of discrimination or harm.
Help us continue to fight by making a tax-deductible donation at chosenfamilyofmichigan.org
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