Spencer Macnaughton | Uncloseted Media Weekly Newsletter | Trump's Inauguration and the Rollback of Trans Rights
It has been less than 72 hours since President Donald Trump’s inauguration, and here are a few verbatim excerpts from executive orders he has already signed:
“It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable. “Sex” shall refer to an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
“Each agency, department, or commission head … shall … terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law, all DEI, DEIA, and “environmental justice” offices and positions.”
“Federal agencies, within 120 days, must eliminate documents such as “The White House Toolkit on Transgender Equality,” the “U.S. Department of Education Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students,” and “Supporting Transgender Youth in School.”
“The following executive actions are hereby revoked: Executive Order 14075 of June 15, 2022 (Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals).”
Many folks in the LGBTQ community are struggling and scared. In the eyes of the federal government, trans people no longer exist. For the people reading this who don’t identify as trans, imagine a similar rule was implemented for you because of, say, your sexual orientation, your race, or any other unchangeable characteristic like the color of your eyes.
It’s unacceptable and every American should be outraged.
This week, I’m reminded of how critical it is not to kowtow to any politician or administration (something I believe much of the mainstream media fails to do).
I’m grateful we are operating as a nonprofit newsroom that has the privilege of not needing massive numbers to stay afloat.
We are committed to covering this administration with rigor and depth. I think playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard’s quote about the importance of journalism is particularly salient at this moment:
"I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon."
On Day One, Trump Pits His Administration Against Transgender People (The 19th)
His administration will likely run into legal trouble as it implements policies on federal identity documents and housing in federal prisons.
Bishop Asks Trump to ‘Have Mercy’ on Immigrants and Gay Children (The New York Times)
The direct appeal to President Trump on the first full day of his term was a remarkable moment at a National Cathedral event that traditionally has not been political.
White House officials grouped both orders under the Trump administration’s wider “restoring sanity” agenda.
Layoffs loom as Trump administration orders federal DEI workers on leave (Washington Post)
Employees of diversity, equity and inclusion programs were placed on administrative leave by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Agencies were told to make plans for layoffs.
ICYMI, I went live on Substack with transgender activist and military veteran Alaina Kupec, who founded GRACE, a new trans advocacy organization. Kupec shared with us her perspective on the new administration, how she is coping, and what we can all do to stay engaged. Watch the full interview here:
This weekend, be on the lookout for new Uncloseted reporting:
🆕 I interview Peter Boykin, a politician and the Founder of Gays for Trump, an LGBTQ-focused organization that champions President Trump’s work for the community and beyond. Boykin talks about infighting among LGBTQ Trump supporters, what he thinks Trump has done well for the community, and where he thinks the President can do better.
🆕 Now that Trump is officially back in the White House, where do his key nominees and administration members stand on LGBTQ issues? We have complete track records for Kristi Noem, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr., Scott Bessent, Pam Bondi, Linda McMahon and Susie Wiles.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to email me with questions, complaints, tips, and story ideas!
Spencer Macnaughton, Editor-In-Chief
spencer@unclosetedmedia.com
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