The legislation that led to the government shutdown is due to Donald Trump’s attempt to stop federal funding for transgender adults and youths.
According to PinkNews, this bill has been the subject of the republican-democrat stand-still over the past week. Earlier this month, Trump posted on social media calling for democrats to support a bill that would ban federal funding of gender-affirming care in hospitals or medical facilities. Trump initially refused to meet with democrats over the impending shutdown, claiming that they had “unserious and ridiculous demands.” This law would ban trans surgeries, trans medicaid coverage, and the displaying of Pride flags in public buildings.
Despite Trump finally meeting with democrats, trans Americans urged democrats to stand strong. However, several hospitals already began halting gender-affirming care in preparation.
According to ABC News, Tuesday night, they failed to reach a resolution, and as of approximately 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, the government has been effectively shut down. Before this, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was quoted as saying, “We want to sit down and negotiate, but the Republicans can’t do it in their partisan way where they just say it’s our way or the highway.”
This is the 21st government shutdown since the 1970s, the last of which was also under the Trump Administration.
During this shutdown, ABC News estimates about “4 million federal employees, including some service members, could go without a paycheck,” and several other institutions could be forced to close within the next few days. Social Security and Medicaid are still being distributed, just more slowly than usual.
The government shutdown emphasizes the Republican Party’s insistence on infringing upon the rights of not only trans adults, but children. Conservatives have been unrelenting in making trans people their scapegoats and punching bags, claiming that 1% of the population is so dangerous, and so immoral, that they deserve to be treated as subhuman.
