Gay and transgender rights advocates in Alabama and beyond are gearing up for more attacks on LGBTQ rights after newly sworn-in President Donald Trump vowed that under U.S. policy there are “only two genders.”
“We take the remark to be a denial of all trans folks’ lived experiences, especially within the context of expected executive actions,” the Alabama Transgender Rights Action Coalition, said in an email to AL.com. “Science and medicine affirm the existence of a whole spectrum of gender that includes cisgender and transgender people alike. The administration’s stance on this benefits no one, and contradicts widely accepted medical best practice.”
Trump is expected to sign an executive action restricting the government’s definition of gender and sex.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said Monday during his inaugural address, to loud applause.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., praised Trump’s comments.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for recognizing that there are 2 genders: male and female,” Tuberville said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Now, we need to pass my bill to get men OUT of women’s sports.”
Tuberville reintroduced the bill that would bar transgender athletes from women’s sports earlier this week with numerous co-sponsors, including Alabama’s junior Republican, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt.
The Alabama coalition for transgender rights condemned Tuberville’s remarks.
“Transgender people (including nonbinary folks) exist in Alabama, and many are born here — and we just want to be free to participate in society like everyone else,” the advocacy group said in an email to AL.com. “In the coming years, some politicians will continue to proclaim falsehoods in an effort to distract from issues that they can’t solve without upsetting the interests that fund them. Alabama’s working-class people aren’t helped by the introduction of anti-trans policy, by a rejection of science, or by the embrace of anti-intellectualism.”
An incoming White House official told reporters that Trump will sign an executive action on Monday dictating that the policy of the U.S. is that there are two biologically distinct sexes: male and female, according to NPR.
The sexes are “not changeable,” according to the official, who spoke on background to reporters. The change in definition would apply to documents like passports, visas, and employee records.
Taxpayer funds would not be allowed to be used for “transition services,” according to the report from NPR.
But transgender rights advocates urged caution.
“Today, the Trump Administration is expected to release a barrage of executive actions taking aim at the LGBTQ+ community instead of uniting our country and prioritizing the pressing issues the American people are facing,” said Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, in an email to AL.com. “But make no mistake: these actions will not take effect immediately.”
Robinson said the actions “serve no purpose” other than hurting LGBTQ+ families and communities.
She said the Trump administration “is trying to divide our communities in the hope that we forget what makes us strong.”
“But we refuse to back down or be intimidated.”
Trump is expected to sign numerous executive actions Monday, primarily related to immigration.
