Biden to Trans Youth: ‘Your President Has Your Back’

During his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, President Biden vocalized his support for trans Americans, specifically addressing trans youth. The address came at an especially tumultuous time when 33 states have introduced more than 100 bills aimed to curb the rights of trans people across the country, and advocacy groups calling 2021 a record-breaking year for anti-trans legislation.

“To all transgender Americans watching at home—especially young people, who are so brave—I want you to know your president has your back,” Biden said during the Wednesday address.

“To all the transgender Americans watching at home – especially the young people who are so brave – I want you to know that your president has your back.” – @POTUS #JointAddress pic.twitter.com/QlF07i4FTq

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 29, 2021

Biden also mentioned and endorsed the Equality Act. “I also hope Congress will get to my desk the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ Americans.” The Equality Act passed the House of Representatives and has not yet received a vote on the Senate floor. Biden vowed to sign the LGBTQ rights bill during his first 100 days in office. The bill would amend the existing civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected identities. A recent poll by the Human Rights Campaign found that 70 percent of Americans were in support of the Equality Act.

Regardless, there are more than 200 anti-LGBTQ bills under consideration in state legislatures across the country, and of those, 120 directly target transgender people, according to HRC. About half of those bills (66 total) would ban trans girls and women from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, even though legislators across the state have yet to provide examples of issues in their states to justify the legislation.

“Transgender children are children,” says Alphonso David, HRC president, on the bills specifically affecting trans youth. “They deserve the ability to play organized sports and be part of a team, just like all children. The lawmakers behind HB 3293 (a West Virginia bill targeting trans girls and women in sports) can’t name a single example of a transgender child trying to gain an unfair competitive advantage, which underscores that this is nothing more than a politically motivated bill for the sake of discrimination itself.”

In response to Biden’s statement of support Wednesday, David also responded, “The Biden administration has made it clear through their actions that they are allies in the fight for equality and justice for LGBTQ people here in the United States and across the globe. And tonight, we were pleased to hear the president tell Congress directly that passing the Equality Act remains a top priority of his administration and must be a top priority for the United States Senate. Equality and justice are not partisan goals—they are the bedrock on which our country was founded.”

While advocates recognized Biden’s words were huge for trans visibility, many said Biden still needs to back up his words, as anti-trans legislation is so pervasive in the country this year and the Equality Act has yet to be passed. Kai Shappley, an 11-year-old, trans girl who testified before the Texas Legislature over legislation against trans youth earlier in April, tweeted her response: “I’m very thankful for this. But, what does having my back mean? Like, if the bills pass in Texas, will you keep them from putting my mom in jail?”

Gillian Branstetter, media manager at the National Women’s Law Center and a longtime trans advocate, told NBC News the message was a “long-overdue recognition” by an American president of trans people’s experience fighting for safety and equality, but pushed Biden to put these words into action.

“But, amid a coordinated onslaught of anti-transgender legislation, those words would ring a little truer once backed by actions from his cabinet and, specifically, the incredible team of civil rights leaders he’s appointed at the Department of Justice,” Branstetter says.

Photo courtesy of Associated Press/Carolyn Kaster.