Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, known for his anti-trans policies, announced he will resign effective September 8 to become the co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), serving alongside Dan Bongino as told by Missouri Independent.
Bailey’s tenure as Missouri AG was marked by aggressive legal actions targeting gender affirming care. In April 2023, he issued emergency rules that would have required extreme mental health documentation before administering hormone therapy or surgeries to transgender individuals, as reported by Axios, rules clearly seen as restrictive, obstructive, and medically unwarranted. His office also pursued medical records from a transgender health clinic and led lawsuits effectively impeding trans care access.
Bailey will be joining FBI leadership during an organizational reshuffle under Director Kash Patel alongside other high-profile figures like Bongino and former AG Pam Bondi. Learn more about the shake up from executivegov.com. A former AG with a track record of targeting trans individuals entering a powerful leading role raises serious concerns about potential institutional biases in investigation, enforcement, and policies impacting all queer people.
Many people have already spoken up against his promotion. Gillian Wilcox, Deputy Director for Litigation at the ACLU of Missouri, stated Bailey seeks to “corrupt our health care system” and “play politics at the expense of life-saving medical care,” (reported by Erin in the Morning). Dr. Devon Ojeda, the Senior National Organizer for the National Center for Transgender Equality also spoke on his emergency rule, saying that “irresponsible use of political power that only serves to further disenfranchise a community that has been under attack,” (also reported by Erin in the Morning).
This appointment isn’t merely a pay raise, this signals an institutional shift with potentially far-reaching consequences for queer and specifically trans rights. For communities already wary of state-sanctioned suppression, having someone opposed to trans inclusion in such a visible federal position merits urgent attention and public concern. Someone of that position with a history of transphobic action creates an urgent risk for the safety and rights of transgender individuals.
