Tag: transgender

REPORT: Dems to Unveil ‘Transgender Bill of Rights’ in Response to Roe v Wade Reversal

by Breck Worsham, posted in law, news, politics

WASHINGTON (The Hill)– A group of House Democrats on Tuesday announced they would move to codify federal protections for transgender people.

The proposal, dubbed the “Transgender Bill of Rights,” would codify the Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County decision that protects employees against discrimination for being gay or transgender.

The proposal would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly include protections for gender identity and sex characteristics, expand access to gender-affirming care and ban conversion therapy.

It would also require the attorney general to designate a liaison dedicated to overseeing enforcement of civil rights for transgender people and invest in community services to prevent anti-transgender violence.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and co-chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force, said in a statement that the resolution would ensure transgender people can lead “full, happy lives.”

“As we witness Republicans and an extremist Supreme Court attack and roll back the fundamental rights of trans people across our country, and as state legislatures across the country target our trans community with hateful, bigoted and transphobic attacks, we are standing up and saying enough is enough,” Jayapal said.

Jayapal introduced the proposal alongside Reps. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Marie Newman (D-Ill.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.). The bill has 84 other co-sponsors.

The bill’s proponents cited Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning the constitutional right to an abortion.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion that the court should also consider overturning some of its other precedents decided under the same substantive due process protections at the heart of Friday’s decision, like rights to same-sex marriage and contraception.

The Bostock decision was not mentioned in Thomas’s concurring opinion and involved a different legal question.

But Thomas’s opinion has caught the eye of many Democrats who believe the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is poised to roll back rights extended to LGBTQ people in past cases.

Democrats supporting the bill also pointed to research from the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, showing state legislatures have proposed more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills in the past year.

The bill is supported by more than 30 organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Education Association.

“While some politicians are targeting our community with discriminatory legislation, we are grateful that the members House of Representatives are sending this message to us — and especially to transgender youth — that they affirm our lives and value the contributions we make to our country,” said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the National Center for Transgender Equality’s executive director. “We deserve to live as who we are without sacrificing our safety, access to health care or enduring violence and discrimination.”

The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld contributed to the contents of this report.

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PC GONE WILD: Boy Scouts drop ‘Boy’ from name in quest to become ‘gender neutral’

by Breck Worsham, posted in news, politics

Irving, Tx (USA Today) — The Boy Scouts of America doubled down Wednesday on its quest to become the scouting organization of choice for boys and girls, announcing it will drop “Boy” from the name of its signature program.

Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh also unveiled the group’s new “Scout Me In” marketing campaign aimed at promoting inclusiveness.

“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible,” Saurbaugh said.

The umbrella organization will retain its name, Boy Scouts of America or BSA. The term Cub Scouts, for kids 7-10 years old, is gender neutral and also will go unchanged. Boy Scouts, which includes kids from 10 to 17, will become Scouts BSA in February.

Change has been coming quickly to the iconic if shrinking organization. In October, it announced it would provide programs for girls. Several months before that, the group announced it would accept and register transgender youths into its organization.

In 2015, it ended its ban on gay leaders.

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‘CROSSING THE LINE’: Parents outraged over Deleware rule that would let kids ‘choose’ own race, gender without consent of Mom and Dad

by Breck Worsham, posted in news, politics

DOVER, DE — Children in the state of Deleware may soon be able to “choose” their own race and gender without the approval or permission of their parents.

Under new rules implemented under Department of Education Regulation 225 (https://tinyurl.com/ybed28v8) students in Deleware schools would be permitted to self-identify with whatever sex, race or gender they prefer, even if their parents object.

If passed, the rule would allow students to utilize whatever bathroom they choose to use based on what gender they identify with. The rule would also apply to locker rooms and gender-specific sports facilities.

Transgender activist Mark Purpura says the proposed rule is in the “best interest of the child” and helps support kids “living in fear” of their parents.

“The regulation isn’t about keeping a secret, it’s about what’s in the best interest of the child,” Purpura, president of Equality Delaware. “The reality is there are children living in fear who do not feel comfortable coming out to their parents as gay or transgender.”

But many parents are outraged over the proposed rule, claiming that its passage would violate their parental rights.

“I would be livid if the school allowed my daughter to make such a significant decision without me,” Terri Hodges, president of the Delaware PTA, told Fox News (https://tinyurl.com/y9y8lp5z). “I want to protect children,” she said, “but we can’t pick and choose when to engage parents.”

Delaware’s Democrat Gov. John Carney has gone on record as supporting the measure, but Delaware State Rep. Rich Collins, (R)-Millsboro says he opposes it.

“This is taking our eye off the ball,” Collins said. “We have one school that has a 3-percent math proficiency and there are issues educating our kids [across the state].”

‘This is utter insanity,” said one parent who did not wish to be identified. “You can’t choose your own race or gender. This is really big brother crossing the line. What about our rights as parents?”

So far, it appears there are far more against the measure than for it. During the public hearing on the matter, more than 11,000 Delaware citizens spoke up in opposition to the rule.

If approved, Delaware will become the 18th state to enact rules or laws addressing transgenderism in schools.

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TRUMP TO TRANSGENDERS: ‘YOU’RE OUT’; PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RETURN TO BAN ON TRANSGENDERS IN MILITARY

by Breck Worsham, posted in Uncategorized

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a stunning announcement, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an immediate reversal on former president Barack Obama’s policy which allowed transgendered persons to serve in the U.S. military.

In a series of tweets posted to his official Twitter account, the president wrote:

“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow…Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming..victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.”

The announcement quickly caused a wave of backlash from members of the LGBTQ community who called the announcement an offense to transgendered individuals.

“This is worse than don’t ask don’t tell, this is don’t serve, don’t serve,” The National Center for Transgender Equality said in a written statement. “This is an appalling attack on our service members; it is about bigotry rather than military readiness, reason or science. It is indefensible and cannot stand.”

However, the announcement was met with high praise from pro-family and pro-military groups who felt the Obama era policy was harmful to active military members and promoted the wrong priorities.

“I applaud President Trump for keeping his promise to return to military priorities – and not continue the social experimentation of the Obama era that has crippled our nation’s military,” FRC President Tony Perkins said in a statement. “The military can now focus its efforts on preparing to fight and win wars rather than being used to advance the Obama social agenda.”

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.) was also quick to praise the president’s decision.

“Pleased to hear that @realDonaldTrump shares my readiness and cost concerns, & will be changing this costly and damaging policy #readiness,” Hartzler wrote on Twitter upon hearing the news.

Many believe the decision to reverse the controversial policy was fueled by tough talking Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who last month delayed the review of the Obama mandate that allowed transgender people to join the military.

In a statement in June, Mattis approved a recommendation to defer the decision to allow transgender individuals to join the military, a policy known more commonly as accession. “The services will review their accession plans and provide input on the impact to the readiness and lethality of our forces,” the statement read.

Mattis was asked during his confirmation hearing in January whether he would move to ban openly gay and transgendered from service on the basis that their presence somehow makes the military seem less lethal.

“Frankly, senator, I’ve never cared much about two consenting adults and who they go to bed with,” Mattis responded, but refused to comment as to whether or not he felt their presence eroded the military’s image.

In a statement from The Pentagon, Capt. Jeff Davis refused to comment on the president’s announcement of reversal and deferred all questions on the new policy to The White House.

“We refer all questions about the President’s statements to the White House,” a statement from Davis read. “We will continue to work closely with the White House to address the new guidance provided by the Commander-in-Chief on transgender individuals serving the military. We will provide revised guidance to the Department in the near future.”

A 2016 study by Rand Corp. estimated that approximately 6,630 transgender individuals were actively serving in the U.S. military. The total force is about 1.3 million. Under the Obama mandate, any transgendered person who chose to have gender reassignment surgery would be provided treatment and said surgery on the tax payer’s dime.

Prior to the Obama mandate, the Pentagon banned transgender troops from openly serving in the military. Any transgendered person who intentionally revealed their transgender service would be discharged or denied reenlistment.

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