Pride Month is a time to celebrate all the diverse identities that compose humanity. It’s a time to celebrate love in the many ways love is expressed. But Pride is also an act of remembrance for those who died in acts of hate-fueled violence and those who died in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Pride is when we acknowledge the ongoing struggle for basic human rights, and when we rally support for LGBTQIA+ causes. This year, the cause is clearly that of transgender Americans.
Within hours of taking office our Dear Leader issued an executive order titled “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” which withdraws all President Biden’s executive orders that served to protect and promote the well-being of transgender, intersex and non-binary persons.
He quickly followed that up with another executive order, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," which is designed to erase transgender people from the national consciousness and strip them of their rights.
This order defines sex as strictly male or female based on the “immutable biological reality of sex” characteristics at birth. It explicitly denies the existence of transgender and nonbinary people, stating, “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” It prohibits the recognition of gender identity in federal documents and aims to eliminate funding for gender-affirming care, asserting that “gender ideology” undermines women's rights and safety. Get more details at THEM.
This month we hope to promote greater respect – and yes, love – for these Americans who are so persecuted by our administration. You might consider making this small public act of support – get a bumper sticker! And don’t forget to attend a Pride event – there are two celebrations next weekend, one in Dixon and one in Ottawa.
In the meantime, let’s get you up to speed on this human rights crisis: