Trump's gender order raises concerns over trans rights at Northwestern

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Susan M. Davis Vice President for Student Affairs | Northwestern University

Trump's gender order raises concerns over trans rights at Northwestern

Northwestern University experts express concern over potential consequences following President Trump's executive order on gender, which could increase violence and discrimination against transgender individuals. Professor Kara N. Ingelhart from Northwestern's Pritzker School of Law describes the order as "largely unworkable," noting it does not alter existing protections under Title VII or Title IX.

Ingelhart, who directs the LGBTQI+ Rights Clinic, argues that the order aims to weaken protections for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people by promoting discrimination in areas such as health care and public accommodations. Despite this, she asserts that legal safeguards remain intact.

Dr. Eve Feinberg of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine criticizes the biological basis of Trump's decision to recognize only two genders. She states, "President Trump’s executive order on there only being two genders is basically like saying the government has announced that there are two types of cancer: breast and lung."

Alithia zamantakis, a trans health scientist at Northwestern, highlights the potential for increased violence against transgender women due to changes in housing policies within prisons and shelters. They emphasize that these policies are likely to heighten existing rates of violence faced by transgender women compared to cisgender women.

Experts at Northwestern University are available for media interviews to discuss the implications of this executive order further.

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