United States President Donald Trump has issued an executive order mandating the transfer of transgender women inmates to men’s prisons and halting medical treatments related to gender transition. This directive, announced on Trump’s first day back in office, aims to redefine government recognition of gender strictly by sex assigned at birth.
The order, which extends to immigration detention centers, represents one of the most concrete measures within the administration’s broader campaign to limit gender recognition policies. While Trump had previously imposed restrictions on housing and health care for transgender prisoners during his earlier term, the new directive takes a more expansive approach.
The Women’s Liberation Front, an advocacy group that defines women based on their sex assigned at birth and supports single-sex prisons, praised the order as a significant step forward. The organization is actively challenging a California law that allows inmates to request housing consistent with their gender identity, arguing that such policies violate the constitutional rights of cisgender female inmates. The group claims these policies breach the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment.
Trump’s executive order echoes these concerns, stating, “Efforts to deny the biological reality of sex fundamentally undermine women’s dignity, safety, and well-being.”
However, advocates for transgender rights and inmate safety have condemned the policy, warning of severe consequences. Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, criticized the move, saying, “This policy will inevitably lead to rapes and physical assaults. It also strips prison officials of the discretion they currently have to make safety-based decisions.”
Legal experts predict the order will face significant challenges in court. Federal courts have previously ruled that prison systems must protect vulnerable inmates and provide necessary medical care, including hormone therapies, for prisoners diagnosed with gender dysphoria—a condition characterized by distress due to a mismatch between one’s body and gender identity.
“This policy not only jeopardizes the safety of transgender individuals but also creates unnecessary complications for prison administrations,” Minter added.
The debate over transgender rights in prisons remains deeply polarized, with advocates on both sides raising concerns about safety, dignity, and legal protections. The fallout from this executive order is expected to reignite national conversations about gender identity and civil rights.