Bengaluru: A collective of Bengaluru-based transgender rights advocates has addressed an open letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, strongly opposing his latest measures that curtail the rights of sexual minorities.
Activists Akkai Padmashali, Rakshitha Mallikarjuna, and Abeda Begum accused Trump’s executive decisions of attempting to “eliminate, delegitimize, and threaten the safety of transgender and non-binary individuals” across America.
“By restricting the definition of gender to male and female based solely on biological traits at birth, your government is attempting to erase the very identity of transgender people. This move sets a dangerous global example of state-endorsed discrimination,” the letter stated.
They condemned policies such as prohibiting federal agencies from acknowledging gender identity in official records, banning transgender women from competitive sports, and cutting financial support for gender-affirming medical care. The letter also criticized decisions like barring transgender personnel from serving openly in the military, dissolving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in federal institutions, and erasing transgender history from national archives and public platforms.
“Mr. Trump, history will judge you harshly. While you wield authority today, the strength of the transgender community far surpasses any legislation. Our existence is not up for discussion, and our fundamental rights are not yours to revoke,” the activists declared.
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