The Biden Administration has taken legal action against US states which have filed anti-trans legislation for the first time since Joe Biden entered office. According to the Associated Press, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed statements of interest in support of lawsuits filed against Arkansas and West Virginia. Both states have passed laws to prohibit young trans people’s access to gender-affirming healthcare and school sports.
In the statement of opposition against the Arkansas healthcare law, the DOJ wrote: “A state law that specifically denies a limited class of people the ability to receive medically necessary care from their healthcare providers solely on the basis of their sex assigned at birth violates the Equal Protection Clause.”
Chase Strangio of the American Civil Liberties Union, which has taken legal action against the states in question, said the government statements “send a powerful message that discrimination against transgender youth is not just wrong, it is also plainly unconstitutional.” So far, over 30 states have proposed laws that target trans youth. Florida was the most recent state to pass a law banning trans inclusion in school sports.
In response to the increasing hostility towards young trans Americans, president Biden shared a message of solidarity with the trans community in honour of Pride month, tweeting: “To transgender Americans across the country — especially the young people who are so brave — I want you to know your President has your back. During Pride Month — and all the time.”
