Democrats in Congress Are Fighting Trump's Anti-Trans Homeless Shelter Rule

Congressional Democrats are fighting to block the implementation of a new rule unveiled by the Trump administration that critics say would result in widespread discrimination against trans people seeking shelter.

Over 140 members of Congress signed a July 30 letter stating that a unveiled proposal allowing homeless shelters to refuse access to trans people on the basis of their gender identity “weakens protections for transgender individuals experiencing homelessness, essentially empowering federally funded emergency homeless service providers to discriminately turn them away.”

“This type of discriminatory policy is always inappropriate and unjust,” reads the 12-page statement. “Proposing a rule that targets an already marginalized group is especially egregious as we are amidst a global pandemic, where economic, health, and housing insecurity are at an all-time high.”

Last month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it was moving forward with plans to amend the 2016 Equal Access Rule passed under the Obama White House, which extended protections to trans people looking for shelter in gender-segregated facilities. In a statement released alongside the rule change, HUD Secretary Ben Carson claimed the decision would “empower shelter providers to set policies that align with their missions, like safeguarding victims of domestic violence or human trafficking.”

https://www.them.us/story/democrats-in-congress-fighting-trumps-anti-trans-homeless-policy