Republicans Trample On Trans People, Women in Voter Suppression Bill
Leading Off: Disenfranchisement heads to the Senate. World Pride organizers are worried. And Trump loses in Maine. The top story lines as the week begins.
by Assigned Media
A Republican-led voter suppression measure that could disenfranchise millions of Americans — and disproportionately harm women and trans people — heads to the Senate after its passage in the House late last week.
The bill would require people to personally present a birth certificate or passport to register or update their voter information. That would effectively erect elevated barriers for trans people whose documents may not match their gender and who now face further impediments from the Trump administration, which wants to impose gender marker restrictions on passports, and states like Texas that want to revoke prior, court-ordered gender changes.
“An estimated 69 million American women and four million men do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name,” the 19th reported, citing voter groups. The bill creates special barriers to married women, trans people and naturalized citizens who have changed their name, as well as to Native Americans, rural residents and poor people who lack easy access to birth records.
“Malicious and discriminatory document measures are a major tactic in the radical right’s effort to impose anti-trans bigotry nationwide,” Assigned Media reported last month.
The voter suppression bill, which passed in the House with four Democratic defections, will need to overcome a 60-vote Democratic filibuster in the Senate to become law. Senate Democrats beat back the Republicans’ most recent discriminatory measure, a would-be ban on trans athletes, by largely sticking together.
The main organizers of World Pride, scheduled to begin May 17 in Washington, expressed serious concerns late last week about the safety of international trans travelers planning to attend the festival.
Ryan Bos, executive director of Capital Pride Alliance, an organizer, said it is considering whether to issue a statement recommending that international trans folks not travel to the United States for the festival — "or if they come, they come at their own risk.”
The Trump administration has been trying to erect a de facto blockade on U.S.-bound trans travelers from overseas. At least 10 nations are now warning trans and nonbinary citizens that the United States is demanding they designate one "sex" on their U.S. travel forms, and that it must reflect gender assigned at birth.
Trump lost the first legal round in his campaign to impose anti-trans discrimination in Maine. On Friday, the state won a temporary restraining order barring Trump from pulling federal funding in retaliation for its trans athlete protections.
Trump is using federal funding as a cudgel to coerce states to ignore trans protections enshrined in both state and federal law. California officials are facing similar threats.
Planning a protest? Assigned Media wants to publicize your event, wherever you are, no matter how small or large. Contact us at AssignedMediaProtests@gmail.com and we will help spread the word.
Coming up this week: Equality NY and Buffalo-area groups are rallying on Tuesday April 15 from 4:30-6:00 PM at Niagara Square in Buffalo in support of queer rights.