How Trump's 'Agenda 47' affects LGBTQ+ community as he executes several orders against trans people
Within the last week, US president Donald Trump has signed two controversial policies - both of which directly affect the rights of transgender individuals living in America.
So far, three items listed on Trump's campaign manifesto, titled 'Agenda 47', have been into place in the past few weeks - leaving tons of LGBTQ+ people wondering what their future in the US could look like.
What is Trump's 'Agenda 47'?
'Agenda 47' describes the manifesto contrived during his campaign, detailing the plans that would be put into place upon his inauguration - including those surrounding the economy, climate change, public health and immigration.
Some of the more major points in the collection could require congressional action - an example being his plans to end automatic birthright citizenship for people who have at least one illegal/temporary immigrant parent - whilst others can be enacted through executive orders.
What are Trump's latest 'anti-LGBTQ+' policies?
Legislation against gender transitions/treatment for under 19s
In an executive order submitted by the 78-year-old last Wednesday (29 Jan), he vowed to 'protect kids from chemical and surgical mutilation', which is understood to be a swipe against gender transitions treatments and procedures for individuals under 19.
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The order says: "It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures."
The policy also clarifies that when referring to 'pediatric' (or 'paediatric' in the UK), this relates to the 'medical aid of a child', and when discussing 'chemical and surgical mutilation', this includes treatments such as puberty blockers, hormones like oestrogen or testosterone, and surgery.
In Trump's 'Agenda 47' website, he stated his intention to 'revoke Joe Biden’s cruel policies on so-called gender affirming care', and sign a new executive order 'instructing every federal agency to cease all programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age'.
He also planned to ask Congress to 'permanently stop' federal taxpayer's money from 'being used to promote or pay for these procedures'.
In his campaign video, he said: "No serious country should be telling its children that they were born with the wrong gender — a concept that was never heard of in all of human history — nobody’s ever heard of this, what’s happening today.
"It was all when the radical left invented it just a few years ago."
A ban on transgender athletes competing in women's sports
Yesterday (5 Feb), Trump signed another new piece of legislation which bans transgender athletes from competing on women's sport teams, and vowed to deny federal funds for schools that allow it.
"We will defend the proud tradition of female athletes," he declared from the White House. "From now on, women’s sports will be only for women. The war on women’s sports is over."
Trump emphasised that his policy would form part of a 'sweeping effort to reclaim our culture and our laws', and would direct the Education Department to inform schools that allowing trans athletes to compete will put them in violation of the federal law (known as Title IX) banning sex discrimination.
As per his new order, the father-of-five Trump has threatened that if any school receiving taxpayer dollars lets 'men take over women's sports teams or invade your locker rooms', they'll be investigated, adding: "There will be no federal funding. So this will effectively end the attack on female athletes."
In his Agenda 47 website, he states he will ask Congress to pass a bill that 'prohibits men from participating in women’s sports'.
Legally recognising male and female as the 'only genders'
One of Trump's first executive orders was to establish male and female as the 'only two genders' to be legally recognised by the federal government.
His order reads: "Agencies will cease pretending that men can be women and women can be men when enforcing laws that protect against sex discrimination.
"These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. Under my direction, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality."
It also adds that 'sex' would refer to 'immutable biological classification' from when they are born, adding: "Agencies shall remove all statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications, or other internal and external messages that promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology, and shall cease issuing such statements, policies, regulations, forms, communications or other messages."
His Agenda 47 website also makes reference to this order, reading: "The only genders recognized by the U.S. government are male and female—and they are assigned at birth."
Staff from The Advocate previously described Trump's 'Agenda 47' as a 'devastating' prospect 'for LGBTQ+ Americans and other marginalised communities', going on to say that it'll 'threaten the LGBTQ+ community, spanning across education, health care, and the military'.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, Politics, News, LGBTQ,
Rhianna Benson