President Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring transgender women from being housed in female federal prisons.
The order also halts any medical treatments related to gender transition for federal inmates, according to a report by The New York Times.
The directive is part of a broader initiative to restrict the federal government’s recognition of gender to an individual’s biological sex at birth.
The policy affects not only transgender inmates but also transgender immigration detainees, marking one of the most significant expansions of restrictions imposed during Trump’s presidency.
The Women’s Liberation Front, a group advocating for single-sex prisons based on biological sex, celebrated the move as a “major victory.”
The group is currently challenging a California law that allows transgender inmates to request housing based on their gender identity, arguing it infringes on the rights and safety of non-transgender female inmates.
Trump’s order reflects similar arguments, stating that policies accommodating gender identity over biological sex compromise women’s safety, dignity, and well-being.
However, transgender advocates and legal experts strongly oppose the order, warning of the risks it poses to transgender inmates.
“There will be rapes and physical assaults because of this policy,” said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Minter stated that the decision could endanger vulnerable inmates and complicate prison officials’ ability to maintain safety and security.
The executive order, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” focuses specifically on transgender women and does not impose similar restrictions on transgender men.
Legal experts suggest the order could face significant court challenges, as previous rulings have mandated that prisons protect vulnerable inmates and provide medically necessary treatments, including hormone therapy.
In 2022, a federal judge ruled that the Bureau of Prisons must provide gender-transition surgery for a transgender inmate, citing a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment.
The Bureau of Prisons estimates there are approximately 1,500 transgender women in federal custody, accounting for about 15% of the incarcerated female population. In contrast, around 750 transgender men are housed in federal facilities.
Critics argue the policy creates a dangerous precedent that prioritizes ideology over safety and health. Advocates have pledged to challenge the order, describing it as an attack on transgender rights and dignity.
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