The United States government has begun transferring transgender women to men’s prisons, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. This action has sparked outrage among civil rights lawyers, who argue that it violates multiple court rulings that previously blocked the policy.
Trump’s executive order on “gender ideology” mandates that the attorney general “shall ensure that males are not detained in women’s prisons or housed in women’s detention centers.” The order also prohibits federal funding for gender-affirming treatments and procedures for incarcerated individuals.
Despite facing legal challenges, the US Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has started moving transgender women to male facilities. Lawyers fighting against Trump’s directive say that while courts have prevented the transfer of 17 transgender women who are plaintiffs in the lawsuits, other trans women not included in the cases are now facing relocation to men’s prisons.
“I’m just continuing to be punished for existing,” said Whitney, a 31-year-old trans woman who was transferred from a women’s facility to a men’s prison this week. The BOP also changed her gender marker from “female” to “male” in its records. Before her transfer, she expressed frustration, saying she felt like a “pawn in others’ political games.”
Also Read:
- Tinubu Rejects N942bn Census Budget, Proposes Use of NYSC Members
- Gunmen Kidnap PETROAN BoT Chairman in Abia, Kill Two
Kara Janssen, an attorney representing transgender women in court, revealed that another trans woman, who was not part of the lawsuits, was also transferred to a men’s prison. Additionally, she learned about a transgender woman who had undergone gender-affirming surgeries before being incarcerated but was still placed in a male facility.
Federal judges have ruled against Trump’s order in three lawsuits, declaring that the BOP cannot deny medical treatment to transgender inmates or forcibly transfer them to male prisons. One judge stated that the plaintiffs had “straightforwardly demonstrated that irreparable harm will follow” if they are moved.
Despite these rulings, the policy is being implemented, raising concerns about the safety and well-being of transgender individuals in US prisons. Advocacy groups and legal teams are continuing to challenge the order in court, arguing that it endangers trans inmates and violates their rights.